AGRIC,  DCP 


Between  Tw 


AGRICULTURAL 
LIBRARY, 

UNjfVEKSITV 

o.taiJKi 


A  Drama  of  the  Passing  of  the  Old 

and  the  Coming  of  the  New 

in  Rural  Life 


By 
CHARLES  WILLIAM  BURKETT 

Editor  of  American  Agriculturist 


1914 

ORANGE  JUDD  COMPANY 
NEW  YORK 


Copyright  1914 

BY 

ORANGE  JUDD  COMPANY 


Printed  in  U.S.A. 


NOTES  TO  THE  PERFORMERS 


6V 


In  acting  a  play,  words  are  only  a  part.  What  is 
equally  important  is  action.  Each  part  must  be  thor 
oughly  studied,  committed  to  memory  and  then  acted. 
Don't  be  stiff.  Move  about  on  the  stage.  Don't  sit  still ; 
don't  stand  in  one  place.  If  you  do  sit  down,  let  it  be 
just  for  a  moment ;  then  rise  and  walk  to  some  other 
part  of  the  stage.  Keep  moving — move  your  hands, 
your  feet,  your  eyes,  your  head.  The  point  is,  be 
doing  something.  Study  your  part  and  introduce  just 
as  many  little  "acting"  features  as  you  can  think  of. 
Sam,  Rastus,  Trueletta  and  Abagail  must  make  the 
audience  laugh ;  they  must  furnish  amusement.  Each 
should  "work  up"  little  things  for  doing  this.  This  is 
the  "acting  part,"  and  each  individual  must  initiate  and 
originate  little  things  of  an  "action"  nature  to  go  with 
the  lines  of  the  text.  It  is  the  same  with  every  role 
of  the  play.  The  more  original  features  thus  intro 
duced  in  connection  with  the  speaking  parts,  together 
with  lively  action,  gestures,  changes  in  position  on  the 
stage,  the  brighter  will  be  the  play  and  the  greater  the 
interest  in  the  parts  and  the  persons  impersonating 
them. 


28P880 


CAST  OF  CHARACTERS 


HENRY  WILSON,  farmer  of  the  old  type. 

SARAH,  his  wife. 

JACK,  their  son. 

BETTY,  their  daughter. 

SILAS  WATSON,  who  loans  money. 

GERTIE  BOWERS,  teacher  of  the  district  school. 

WILL  JEFFERSON,  a  city  youth  with  good  clothes. 

TRUELETTA,  the  colored  girl  who  helps  out. 

RASTUS  WASHINGTON   LINCOLN,   colored   hostler   of 
Silas  Watson. 

SAM  SNIPES,  the  hired  man. 

DONALD  BROOKS,  son  of  a  neighbor  to  the  Wilson's, 
who  loves  Betty. 

ABAGAIL  JONES,  who  sees  vileness  in  all  men. 
PRISON  GUARD. 


COSTUMES 

ACT  I — Ordinary  clothing,  as  is  the  custom  of  the 
community.  Silas  wears  gingham  shirt,  straw  hat, 
without  coat  or  vest,  suspenders,  no  necktie  and 
either  boots  or  shoes.  Henry  similar  costume, 
but  of  different  color.  Jack  wears  ordinary  walk 
ing  shoes,  overalls,  straw  hat.  The  same  for 
Donald.  Gertie  and  Betty  are  in  neat  and  clean 
dresses,  color  and  style  to  suit.  Trueletta  in  short 
dress,  hair  in  pigtails,  and  face  and  hands  colored 
rather  dark.  Rastus  the  same.  Rastus  wears 
pants  too  big  for  him  and  only  one  suspender. 
Abagail  wears  clothes  not  just  fitting  her.  Her 
face  should  be  rather  thin,  and  "made  up"  to  show 
oddity  in  appearance,  dress  and  speech. 

ACT  II — The  stage  setting  is  a  modest  room  of  work 
ing  people  in  a  city.  Donald  and  Jack  wear  plain 
clothes,  sack  coats,  etc.  Betty,  Gertie,  Abagail  and 
Mrs.  Wilson  in  keeping  with  the  situation.  Ras 
tus  should  be  dressed  in  starched  linen  or  gingham 
clothes  with  high  stiff  collar,  flaming  red  tie,  odd- 
shaped  shoes  and  hat.  Let  as  much  originality 
as  possible  enter  into  "rigging  him"  out.  True 
letta  the  same. 

ACT  III — General  prosperity  is  shown.  All  dressed 
in  clean  clothes.  Sam  in  jeans.  Donald  and  Jack 
in  clean  work  clothes.  The  same  motive  in  cos 
tuming  should  prevail  in  this  act  as  in  the  previous 
acts.  A  change  of  clothes  may  be  made,  suiting 
the  wishes  of  the  persons  acting  the  parts.  Let 
every  change  of  costuming  be  plain  and  simple, 
but  neat  and  clean,  and  planned  in  the  spirit  of  a 
sensible,  familiar  country  atmosphere. 


BETWEEN  TWO  LIVES 


ACT  I 

Farmhouse.  Combined  living  and  dining  room. 
Door  opens  to  rear  in  kitchen.  Doors  at  left  and  right 
also.  Furnishings  consist  of  table,  a  few  chairs,  stove, 
if  available,  cupboard,  clock  and  such  other  things  as 
will  give  the  general  setting  of  an  ordinary  country 
home. 

(Act  opens  with  Trueletta  seen  washing  dishes 
through  door  opening  into  kitchen.  She  hums  a  negro 
chant  or  song.  Rap  on  door  causes  her  to  come  in  the 
room  on  stage.  She  goes  to  the  door  and  admits  Silas 
Watson.  Silas  enters,  looks  around.) 

SILAS  WATSON  :     Is  Uncle  Henry  in? 

TRUELETTA:  No  sah.  Just  'ou  wait  a  bit.  Ah 
sees  if  I  kin  find  Mr.  Wilson.  He's  round  somewhare. 
You'se  jist  set  deown  and  ah  goes  and  hunts  him. 
(Silas  come  in,  takes  a  chair.  Trueletta  goes  out.) 

SILAS  :  Poor  Hinry,  I  feel  sorry  for  him.  Wonder 
what  that  coon's  doin'  here.  Never  knowed  Henry 
Wilson  to  hire  a  girl  to  help  his  wife.  Oh,  now  I  un 
derstand  ;  his  wife's  sick.  So  he's  got  the  black  gal  to 
cook  till  she  get's  on  'er  feet  again.  Hinry  kinder 
looks  on  wimmen  folks  as  live  stock.  Thare's  jist  so 
much  work  in  'em  and  you're  to  git  't  out.  Course 
cows  git  sick,  so  why  not  wiminen,  too,  (Trueletta 
returns.) 

TRUELETTA:     He  haint  run  off.     He's  out  to  the 


Itt   •  BETWEEN  .:TWO   LIVES 

barn  fixin'  some  harnesses.     Says  soon's  he  splices  the 
traceries  he'll  be  in. 

SILAS  :  Well,  I'll  just  step  out  thare.  How's  Mrs. 
Wilson?  Sick? 

TRUELETTA  :  Sick  ?  Laws  a  Massa !  She  ain't  got 
no  disease — just  plain  tired  out.  Her  bone's  full  of 
misery  from  'ard  work,  milkin',  cookin',  washin',  bak 
ing  an'  ev'ry  tother  kin'  of  work  round  this  'ere 
house.  Golly  me,  I'se  'most  broke  mah  back  carryin' 
water  way  up  from  th'  barn  heah.  Mens  folks  don't 
undastand  how  'ard  a  woman  works.  If  ah  ever  mar 
ries  I  'aint  gwine  to  work  mahself  to  death  for  no  man. 
No,  siree.  (Shakes  her  head.  Silas  goes  to  the  door.) 

SILAS:     Who's  you  goin'  to  marry,  Trueletta? 

TRUELETTA  :  That  nigger  of  yourn,  who  looks  af 'er 
yure  hosses,  has  axed  me  a  hull  dozen  times.  But  ah 
won't  have  'im  if  he  bothers  me  'ere.  Ah'll  'it  'im  on 
his  cocoanut. 

SILAS  :  Don't  you  dare  to  hurt  him.  Uncle  Henry's 
at  the  barn  you  say?  (Silas  leaves  Trueletta  at  door, 
closing  it  at  right.) 

RASTUS:  (At  back  through  kitchen.  Rastus  enters 
with  a  large  Rivel  pie  in  his  hand  and  mouth  full. 
Trueletta  sees  him — looks  mad.  Rastus  starts  to  laugh 
and  chokes,  explodes  pie  over  the  room.) 

TRUELETTA:  You  good-fur-nothin',  black,  lazy 
niggah!  You  ought  to  be  in  th'  tenitentiary,  where 
you'se  belongs.  Stealin'  pies!  What's  difference 
frum  stealin'  money?  Git  right  out  o'  here!  Git! 
(She  throws  a  broom  at  him.) 

(Betty  and  Jack  come  in  together.) 

BETTY:    Why,  Trueletta,    what   does   this    mean? 


BETWEEN    TWO   LIVES  II 

(Trueletta  starts  to  explain.    Jack  pushes  her  to  the 
kitchen.) 

JACK  :  I  won't  stand  it,  Betty.  I'm  sick  of  every 
thing.  Just  consider  how  hard  we've  worked.  Slaved, 
that's  what.  What  good  does  it  do?  We've  a  big 
farm,  but  he  won't  improve  it,  he  won't  get  any  up-to- 
date  tools ;  our  cows  are  only  scrubs.  No  wonder  we 
can't  make  any  money.  There's  that  big  swamp  field — 
I  told  him  I'd  do  the  ditching  if  he'd  only  buy  the  tiles. 
Said  he  didn't  believe  in  ditching.  Just  book  stuff.  Lot 
he  knows  about  books. 

BETTY:  Remember,  Jack,  he's  worked  hard,  too. 
He's  kind  and  good  in  his  way,  but  he  simply  doesn't 
see  things  like  us. 

JACK:  And  never  will.  He  did  let  us  go  through 
high  school,  but  begrudged  every  day  we  went.  I'm 
going  to  quit.  There's  no  money  in  farming  the 
way  he  farms,  and  he  won't  let  me  do  things  different. 
So  what  can  I  do?  I'll  teach  school.  I  can  do  that. 

BETTY  :  Oh,  Jack !  I  know  how  you  feel,  but  don't 
get  angry  with  father.  He  doesn't  see  things  as  you 
do.  He's  lost  his  grip.  He's  always  worked  hard  and 
things  have  gone  against  him. 

JACK:  That's  it.  He  works  with  his  hands,  but 
not  with  his  brains.  I  want  to  use  my  brains.  He 
won't  let  me.  What's  brains  for,  anyway  ?  I  showed 
him  an  article  in  American  Agriculturist  the  other  day. 
He  just  laughed  in  my  face.  Said  farm  paper  editors 
didn't  know  anything.  And  yet  that  article  told  ex 
actly  how  to  drain  that  swamp  field.  Think  of  it, 
Betty.  We  haven't  a  decent  book  in  the  house.  We 
never  get  a  paper.  We  never  get  anything  to  read 
any  more.  Gertrude  Bowers  wants  me  to  be  a  teacher. 


12  BETWEEN    TWO    LIVES 

•  BETTY  :     So  Gertie  wants  you  to  be  a  teacher.  And 
you  want  Gertie. 

JACK:  Yes,  I  do;  but  she  won't  have  me.  She's 
the  best  girl  I  ever  saw.  I'd  be  lucky  to  get  her,  but — 
And  by  the  way,  Betty,  I  don't  want  you  to  have  any 
thing  to  do  with  that  city  dude— that  Will  Jefferson, 
who's  around  here.  I  see  you  and  him  together  a 
good  deal.  But  don't  do  it.  He's  no  good.  Bud 
Griffith  said  he  gambles  and  drinks  and  tells  about  how 
many  girls  he's  got.  Don't  get  silly  over  him,  Betty. 

BETTY:  Here  comes  father  and  that  old  money 
lender,  Silas  Watson.  I'll  bet  he's  after  more  money. 
They're  coming  in.  I'm  going  up  to  mother.  Now, 
cheer  up,  Jack,  everything  will  come  round  all  right. 
(Enter  Henry  and  Silas.) 

HENRY:  But,  Silas,  I  haven't  the  money.  I'm  in 
debt  now,  as  you  know,  so  how  can  I  buy  more  land? 

SILAS  :  Oh !  that'll  be  all  right.  I  don't  want  any 
money.  I'll  take  your  note  and  mortgage.  Just  give 
me  $500  down  to  bind  the  bargain  and  you  c'n  pay  the 
rest  when  you're  good  and  ready.  Why,  hello,  Jack! 

HENRY:  Jack,  Mr.  Watson  here  wants  me  to  buy 
that  80  of  his  back  of  the  farm.  Kinder  think'  I  better 
do  it. 

JACK:     Why,  I  thought  you  hadn't  any  money. 

HENRY:  I  haven't  much,  but  Silas  only  wants  a 
little  down. 

JACK  :  A  little  down.  The  rest  on  mortgage.  Why, 
father,  we're  mortgaged  up  to  the  neck  now.  What 
we  want  is  not  more  land,  but  more  improvements  on 
what  we've  got.  Mr.  Watson,  you  want  to  sell  your 
old  farm — that  old  run-down  piece  which  you  fore 
closed  on  young  Miller.  I  tell  you  both  we  don't  want 


BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES  13 

it.  Father,  take  $500  and  buy  some  drain  tile  and  get 
a  man  to  help  me  and  we'll  drain  the  swamp  field. 
There's  a  fortune  in  that  40-acre  piece.  When  it's 
drained  it  will  be  worth  $200  an  acre.  It  will  grow 
anything. 

HENRY  :  Tut,  tut,  my  son,  you  hain't  got  that  book 
article  out  of  yore  mind  yet.  I  don't  believe  in  drain- 
in'  land.  D'ye  hear?  I  ain't  goin'  to  do  it.  You! 
What  do  you  know  about  f armin'  ?  Know  more'n  me, 
do  ye?  I'll  show  what  we'll  do.  Still  want  to  sell. 
Silas? 

JACK  :  Do  you  mean,  father,  that  you  think  of  buy 
ing  that  old  run-down  farm  ? 

HENRY:     Course  I  do. 

JACK  :  Then  I'll  say  my  piece.  You  buy  that  land, 
when  we  need  money  for  ditching,  a  few  better  cows 
that  will  help  pay  our  debts,  and  papers  and  books  to 
show  us  how  to  farm  better,  and  I'll  leave  you.  I've 
been  obedient  to  you,  worked  hard,  gone  without 
things  that  other  boys  of  my  age  have  and  stayed  right 
by  you,  but  if  you  buy  more  land — that  ends  it.  I'll 
leave  you  and  I'll  leave  the  farm. 

HENRY  :     You — you  won't  do  no  sich  thing. 

JACK  :  Buy  that  land  and  I'm  off  forever.  (  Turns 
and  goes  out.) 

HENRY  :  That's  what  we  gits  for  raising  boys  these 
days.  I'll  show  him.  Silas,  let's  go  and  take  a  look  at 
that  land.  (They  go  out.)  (Rastus  creeps  in.) 

RASTUS:  Wusen't  that  yaller  gal  mad,  though? 
(Looks  all  around.)  Wonder  where  she  be  now. 
(Looks  in  the  kitchen.)  Ah !  there  she  comes.  (Hides 
behind  the  door.  Trucletta  comes  in  with  pan  of  flour. 
Rastus  slyly  moves  up,  catches  her  around  the  waist 


14  BETWEEN    TWO    LIVES 

and  aims  to  kiss  her.    She  throws  the  pan  covering 
him  with  flour. ) 

TRUELETTA  :  You  miserable  black  nigger !  Why  do 
you  skeer  me  so  bad?  (She  looks  at  Rastus  covered 
with  flour  and  laughs  heartily.) 

RASTUS:  See,  heah,  Miss  Niggah  gal;  who  gives 
you  permission  to  spile  my  clothes  ?  Why's  you  so  dif 
ferent  from  other  gals?  Why's  you  punish  me  so  dis- 
respectably?  Why's  you  hurts  my  feelin's?  Why's 
you  so  all-fired  'sposed  to  a  leetle  thrilly  sensation? 
I've  a  mind  to  walk  rite  out  o'  dis  house  without  say- 
in'  'nother  word  to  your  sniptuous  self. 

SAM  (walks  in  with  high  boots,  one  suspender, 
overalls,  straw  hat)  :  He,  he,  he,  Ho,  Ho,  Ho,  Ha,  Ha, 
Ha.  Well,  I  declare!  Beats  anything  ever  I  see. 
You's  a  sight,  bof  of  you.  You  been  a-fi'tin',  that's  a- 
what.  Rastus,  what's  you'se  been  up  to?  (Rap  at 
door.)  Who's  that?  (To  Rastus.)  Stand  still, 
don't  you  run.  (Opens  door.  Enter  Abagail  Jones. 
Looks  at  party.) 

ABAGAIL:  What  scandalous  thing's  goin'  on  here? 
Shame  on  you !  Two  men  'posing  on  one  girl.  You 
brutes,  you!  I  declare,  every  time  I  sees  a  man  I 
wants  to  spit  on  him;  I  want  to  kick  him;  I  want  to 
pull  his  hair.  Us  poor  women  are  pestered  to  death 
by  sich  as  you  men.  You  just  stick  around ;  we  never 
have  no  peace  'tall.  You  hear?  Not  a  bit.  If  I  had 
my  way  I'd  wipe  every  man  off  the  face  of  the  earth. 

SAM  :     You  mean  me,  too,  Abagail  ? 

ABAGAIL  :  I  do,  indeed.  And  what's  more,  I'd  see 
none  of  you  ever  got  back. 

TRUELETTA  :  Laws,  Missus  Abagail.  Don't  let  the 
men  worry  you.  Men's  harmless.  They's  just  babies. 


BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES  15 

You're  got  to  teach  'em  to  know  their  places,  like  cats. 
Learn  to  use  your  fists  and  your  feets.  If  wimmens 
would  spunk  up  an'  spoke  out  the  mens  would  run 
and  do  it  fast  'nough.  I  hain't  'fraid  of  no  mans,  no 
sir,  I  hain't. 

ABAGAIL:  I  didn't  come  here  to  talk  about  such 
mean  things  as  men.  I  came  to  see  Mrs.  Wilson. 
Heard  she  was  sick.  Can  I  see  her,  Trueletta? 
(Noise  at  side.  Enter  Donald.  Sam  leaves.) 

ABAGAIL:  Well,  well,  did  you  come  just  because 
you  thought  I'd  be  here? 

DONALD:  Sure,  I  knew  you  were  here.  Where's 
Betty?  Why,  here's  Betty  now.  (Betty  enters.) 

BETTY  :  How  do  you  do,  Donald  ?  I've  just  come 
from  mother.  She's  asleep  now,  but  I  think  she's 
better.  She's  just  worn  out  with  all  the  harvest 
work  and  haying;  she  just  had  to  go  to  bed  for  a  rest. 
But  sit  down.  (Trueletta  and  Rastus  move  to  kitchen.) 
(Abagail  and  Donald  move  to  Betty.  Jack  comes  in 
and  greets  them.) 

DONALD:  Jack,  you  look  all  flustered  up.  What's 
the  matter? 

JACK:  Everything's  the  matter.  I  want  to  do 
things.  I  want  to  give  my  brain  a  chance  to  work.  I 
see  great  opportunities  to  make  this  old  farm  respond 
to  care  and  skill.  But  I  can't  do  anything.  Father 
won't  let  me.  He  won't  let  me  help.  He  doesn't  be 
lieve  in  new  things,  in  new  ideas.  Farming  in  the  old 
way  will  no  longer  pay.  Labor  is  too  high,  farm  prices 
too  low.  This  is  a  day  of  machines,  of  well-bred  stock, 
drained  land,  improved  seed.  The  air  is  full  of  them, 
and  we  stick  to  the  old-fashioned  ways  of  only  hard 
work  and  little  for  it. 


1 6  BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES 

DONALD:  Remember  the  Fourth  Commandment, 
Jack.  Honor — 

JACK  :  Honor,  shucks  !  Don't  I  honor  him  ?  Doesn't 
Betty  honor  him  ?  And  yet  she,  poor  girl,  works  day 
in  and  day  out  just  as  hard  as  I  do.  Look  at  mother. 
Worn  out  and  still  a  young  woman.  Who's  to  blame  ? 
Everybody — you,  Abagail  (Abagail  starts),  father,  the 
schools,  the  church.  Work  is  your  god.  Your  brains 
and  souls  are  nothing.  I  want  to  study,  to  read,  to 
experiment,  to  use  my  brains  in  running  this  farm.  I 
want  to  improve  it,  build  it  up,  make  it  better.  I  want 
to  drain  that  waste  land  to  pay  off  our  debts.  That's 
what  I  want  to  do. 

ABAGAIL  :  What's  comin'  over  you  boys,  anyway  ? 
Old  folks  ain't  good  enough  for  you  young  chaps. 
Their  ways  don't  suit  you.  They  got  on  all  right 
when  you  was  kids,  but  now  that  you're  big  enough  to 
help  you  get  mad  'c"ause  your  fathers  won't  turn  the 
farms  over  to  you  young  snips  to  play  with.  Grow- 
in'  up  boys  certainly  are  .exasperatin'  things  to  have 
around. 

JACK:  Look  here,  Abagail,  you're  just  as  bad  as 
father.  What  has  Mr.  Brooks  done  for  his  own  son  ? 
Is  he  teaching  him  better  methods — you  don't  know  of 
any.  He  took  Donald  out  of  school  so  as  to  work 
him — work  him  just  like  a  horse — just  like  he  works 
his  wife.  Oh !  I'm  sick  of  it — sick  of  the  mean  ways 
of  treating  women  and  girls  and  boys. 

ABAGAIL:  Ton  my  word,  Jack,  you  are  a  fool — a 
bigger  fool  than  I  thought  you  were.  (Betty  and 
Donald  go  out.) 

ABAGAIL:     What  a  row!     Shame  on  you,  Jack! 
JACK:     There  she  goes — another.     Let  a  man  im- 


BETWEEN    TWO   LIVES  I/ 

pose  on  a  woman,  abuse  her,  work  her  down  to  the 
very  bone,  ill  treat  her  and  she'll  still  stand  up  for 
him;  and  especially  when  some  one  tells  the  truth  to 
his  face.  Abagail,  you're  like  all  the  rest.  You  are 
just  like  mother. 

ABAGAIL  :  Jack,  don't  you  dare  say  a  word  against 
your  mother.  She  hasn't  her  equal  anywhere  in  these 
parts. 

JACK:  There  you  go  again.  Who's  saying  any 
thing  about  mother?  I'm  rebelling  against  custom, 
against  injustice.  There's  mother.  All  her  life  she's 
worked  and  slaved.  She's  carried  water  to  cook  with, 
carried  water  ten  thousand  miles.  And  yet,  with  a 
little  planning,  we  could  have  water  right  in  the 
house.  She's  had  to  carry  out  of  doors  every  bit  of 
the  dirty  water  ever  used  in  this  house.  And  yet  a 
sink  and  drain  to  a  septic  tank  might  have  been  in 
stalled  at  the  cost  of  a  single  illness.  She's  washed  all 
these  dairy  pans  and  crocks  that  would  not  be  re 
quired  at  all  if  we  had  some  decent  things  for  the 
dairy  room. 

(Enter  Gertie  Bowers.) 

ABAGAIL  :  Oh,  hello,  Miss  Bowers !  You're  just  in 
time.  This  young  man  is  losing  his  mind.  Never 
saw  him  in  sich  a  fit.  He's  insultin'  everybody.  You 
take  him  in  hand.  I'm  going  out  an'  tell  his  father. 
Jack,  you're  a  fool — do  you  hear,  a  great  big  fool.  • 

GERTIE:  What  have  you  said,  Jack?  What  have 
you  done  ? 

JACK:  I've  done  nothing.  I  am  only  protesting. 
I'm  all  upset.  Disgusted  with  things.  I  want  to 
scream.  I  want  to  yell.  I  want  to  kill. 


1 8  BETWEEN    TWO   LIVES 

GERTIE:  Gracious,  don't  kill  me!  What's  upset 
you  so? 

JACK:  Father.  He  wants  to  buy  more  land.  It 
s-eems  we  haven't  work  enough  now  to  do. 

GERTIE  :     Well,  can't  you  talk  him  out  of  it  ? 

JACK:  Might  as  well  talk  to  a  goose.  He  won't 
listen. 

GERTIE  :    What  do  you  want  to  do  ? 

JACK  :  What  do  I  want  to  do  ?  Make  what  we've 
got  serve  us  better.  Improve  the  acres  that  now  be 
long  to  us.  Oh,  Gertie,  you  believe  in  me,  don't  you  ? 
I  want  to  do  right.  I  don't  want  to  leave  home,  and 
I  do  want  to  change  this  old  farm  around  somewhat. 
I  want  to  improve — improve  everything :  the  cows,  the 
fields,  the  swamp  land.  I  want  a  furnace  under  the 
house  for  decent  heat,  a  bathroom  for  mother's  and 
Betty's  comfort,  a  water  system  for  the  washing  and 
doing  the  kitchen  work,  and  tending  the  dairy  things. 

GERTIE:     Well,  why  don't  you? 

JACK:  I  don't  because  I  can't.  Father  won't  let 
me.  He  gives  me  no  money  of  my  own.  I  am  worse 
off  than  the  hired  man.  I  just  work.  I  get  my  board 
and  a  room.  I  manage  to  get  a  little  for  clothes,  but 
that's  all.  I  want  books,  farm  papers,  things  to  do 
with.  It  isn't  the  cost.  We  could  get  the  money,  but 
he  won't.  He  doesn't  believe  in  such  things.  So  I'm 
out  of  place. 

GERTIE  :  Jack,  dear  friend  Jack,  I  sympathize  with 
you.  What  you  say  is  the  truth,  and  I  have  seen  it. 

JACK:  Oh,  Gertie,  how  I  do  love  you  for  those 
words!  You're  the  only  human  being  who  ever 
showed  a  speck  of  protest  against  the  folly  of  our  way 
of  living.  Yes,  I  do  love  you. 


BETWEEN    TWO    LIVES  1 9 

GERTIE:    Jack!    Why  do  you  say  that? 

JACK  :  Just  because  I  love  you.  Gertie,  marry  me. 
Will  you,  will  you  ?  Oh,  do  say  that  you  will ! 

GERTIE  :  I  can't,  Jack.  You're  much  to  me.  Since 
I've  been  here  I  have  learned  to  like  you.  I  admire 
you — your  character,  your  manliness,  your  big  unsel 
fish  self.  But  I've  found  out  another  thing,  also.  I 
see  how  the  women  here  work  and  slave.  Their  joy 
and  happiness  is  largely  make-believe.  They — 

JACK:    But,  Gertie — 

GERTIE:  Wait,  Jack,  let  me  finish.  I  like  your 
folks  and  I  like  you.  But  I  never  want  to  be  a  farmer's 
wife.  The  life  is  hard;  I  couldn't  stand  it.  I  don't 
obj-ect  to  work,  but  I  will  not  work  16  to  18  hours  a 
day,  seven  days  a  week,  365  days  a  year.  I'd  simply 
love  country  life — love  to  be  a  farmer's  wife — your 
wife,  Jack,  if  things  were  different.  But  country 
people  never  seem  to  think  the  house  is  a  home ;  they 
make  it  a  work  mill — just  work,  work.  They  seem 
to  think  it  a  sin  to  be  happy — to  play  a  little.  They 
take  pride  in  never  having  things  that  other  happy 
people  have. 

JACK  :  But,  Gertie,  you  are  saying  just  what  I  be 
lieve.  Why — 

GERTIE  :  I  know  it,  I  believe  it.  But  what  chance 
would  there  be  with  every  other  farm  home  against 
what  I  want  ?  It  takes  a  community — everybody  of  the 
same  mind — to  get  team  work  in  happiness  and 
progress.  One  wedded  pair  can't  do  it  alone.  Times 
are  not  ripe  yet,  Jack — not  for  us  here.  That's  why  I 
won't  marry  you.  Don't  urge  me.  What — I — say — 
ends — the — matter.  (Jack  goes  out.) 


2O  BETWEEN    TWO   LIVES 

GERTIE  (steps  to  kitchen)  :     You  here,  Trueletta? 

TRUELETTA  (from  door  inside):  Yessam!  I'se 
here. 

GERTIE  :    Where's  Betty  ? 

TRUELETTA:  Lawsy,  I  don't  know.  Seen  her  go 
out  with  Mistah  Brooks,  and  just  drive  off  with  that 
city  dude  folks  calls  Jeffarson. 

SAM  (enters)  :    Where's  Jack? 

GERTIE:     He's  just  went  out  in  the  yard. 

(Henry,  Donald  and  Abagail  enter.) 

HENRY:  Don't  worry,  Abagail!  Boys  ain't  what 
they  used  to  be.  When  I  was  a  boy  we  did  our  work 
and  listened  to  our  elders. 

ABAGAIL  :  That's  right.  Now  these  boys  insist  on 
doin'  the  bossing;  and  if  you  don't  let  'em,  they  get 
mad  and  sulk. 

DONALD  :  That's  hardly  fair,  Mr.  Wilson ;  and  it's 
hardly  true.  But  we  boys  do  think  we  ought  to  have 
a  little  consideration.  Our  suggestions  ought  to  count 
as  much  as  the  hired  men,  but  they  don't. 

ABAGAIL  :     Donald ! 

HENRY:  They're  all  alike,  Abagail.  If  there  are 
bigger  fools  than  our  young  men  I  never  heard  of  'em. 
(Jack  comes  in.) 

ABAGAIL  :     Nor  I  neither. 

JACK  :  Here's  the  fruits  of  your  work.  It  ends  as 
I  thought.  You've  driven  her  away. 

HENRY:  What's  that;  what's  the  fool  talking 
about? 


BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES  21 

JACK:     This — read  this.     (Gives  Henry  a  letter.) 

HENRY  (reads)  :  Dear  Jack:  Forgive  me.  I  know 
what  I  am  doing  will  break  your  heart.  But  I  can't  help 
it.  I  am  tired  of  the  farm,  of  the  hard  work.  I  long 
for  a  little  pleasure,  social  good  times,  happiness.  Mr. 
Jefferson  (and  I  am  sorry  you  didn't  like  him)  is  going 
to  marry  me  as  soon  as  we  reach  the  city.  Don't  follow. 
I'm  dying  to  have  a  little  fun  and  a  little  brightness  in 
my  life.  Father  will  be  glad  I'm  gone,  but  be  careful 
of  mother.  Your  loving  sister,  Betty. 

DONALD  (grabs  his  hat  as  he  runs  out,  exclaiming)  : 
If  I  ever  catch  that  scoundrel  I'll  kill  him.  Every 
body  take  notice — I'll  kill  him ! 

JACK:  Sam,  did  you  see  what  road  that  striped 
skunk  took? 

SAM  :     Yassir.     He  gone  to  de  station. 

JACK  :  Hitch  a  horse  to  the  buggy  and  come  for  me 
at  once. 

(Enter  Gertie,  Rastus,  Trueletta.  Jack  goes  up 
stairs.) 

ABAGAIL:  More  meanness,  I'll  bet.  And  a  man 
back  of  it.  Depend  for  meanness  on  a  man.  Oh, 
how  I'd  like  to  shake  one  a  minute ! 

(Rastus  slips  in  the  kitchen  and  comes  out  with  big 
butcher's  knife.) 

HENRY  :     What  you  doin'  with  that  ? 
RASTUS  :     1's.e  gwine  to  fight.     Jist  let — 
GERTIE  (interrupting)  :     Where's  Donald? 

RASTUS:  I  seen  him  goin'  over  th'  fence  and 
runnin'  like  blazin'  down  the  road.  I  don't  like  that 
feller.  He  spit  on  me  once.  Jist  let  me  cotch  'im ! 


22  BETWEEN  TWO  LIVES 

GERTIE  (to  Henry)  :  Don't  worry,  the  boys  will 
bring  Betty  back. 

JACK  (enters  with  a  hand  bag;  changes  coat  and 
hat) :  I  saw  mother.  She's  asleep.  I  kissed  her 
forehead.  She's  an  angel.  I'm  off.  I've  seen  so 
much  dreary  existence,  I  leave  it  to  you.  (To  Henry.) 
You  have  brought  her  nearly  to  her  grave,  you've 
driven  Betty  away  to  strangers  and  peril,  you've 
opposed  every  idea  I  ever  thought  out,  and  now 
I'll  bother  you  no  more.  Buy  more  land,  widen  your 
acres,  cramp  in  your  soul,  drive  off  your  children,  but 
never  blame  Betty  or  me.  What  becomes  of  us — 
don't  worry;  if  destruction,  it's  due  to  you;  if  all 
comes  out  well,  take  no  credit  to  yourself. 

(Henry  shows  great  anger.  As  Jack  finishes, 
Henry  knocks  him  down.  Blow  made  to  sound  real 
by  clapping  hands  once.  Jack  gets  up.) 

JACK  (very  calm  and  sweetly)  :  Good-by,  father. 
You  struck  your  son.  For  years  you  have  pounded 
his  soul,  so  that  blow  was  not  unexpected.  I  leave  you 
in  peace,  with  your  acts  and  your  conscience.  Good- 
by,  everybody.  Gertie,  good-by.  I  don't  blame  you 
for  not  wanting  to  be  a  farmer's  wife. 

(Curtain.) 


ACT  II 

Bill  and  Betty's  home  in  the  city.  Living  room 
modestly  furnished. 

TRUELETTA  (runs  in  from  inner  room  excited)  : 
My  golly  me!  I'se  skeered  purty  nigh  to  death.  I 
jist  can't  go  into  that  Mr.  Jack's  room  wifout  one  of 
'em  germanies  gitten'  after  me.  Ough!  They're  all 
over  me.  Gosh,  I  feels  one  now.  (Scratches  her 
head.)  This  house's  jist  overrun  with  kinds  of  things. 
When  Missus  Betty  wrote  me  to  come  and  work  for 
her  she  never  sed  a  wurd  'bout  this  here  bein'  a 
menagerie  for  all  kinds  of  bugs  and  germanies,  and 
bactaries.  Ah  don't  like  it  'ere  no  way.  I  wants  to 
go  back  to  Cobstown.  I  prefer  roosters  to  college 
yaps,  anyway.  Gee,  but  ah'd  like  to  see  Rastus  Wash 
ington  Lincoln  ag'in !  The  Missis  says  he's  comin'  up, 
bringin'  up  some  of  that  'ere  swamp  land  that  Mistah 
Jack's  allers  talkin'  'bout,  for  'im  to  disanylize.  He's 
huntin'  more  bugs,  I  guess. 

(Enter  Rastus  all  dressed  up  in  starch  clothes. 
Trueletta  drops  dishes.) 

TRUELETTA:  For  de  lub  of  heaven!  I'se  never 
seen  sich  an  ubstreperous  sight  in  my  life.  What's 
you  doin'  'ere,  anyway,  nigger? 

RASTUS:  Trueletta — or  mah  name  ain't  Rastus 
Washington  Lincoln. 

TRUELETTA  (Rastus  drops  sack)  :  Git  out  wif  that 
bag.  What's  you  got  in  hit? 

RASTUS:     Sile,  earth,  ground,  dirt,  mud. 
TRUELETTA:     Any  germanies  in  it? 

23 


24  BETWEEN   TWO  LIVES 

RASTUS:  What's  them?  Niggah,  that's  black 
swamp.  That's  that  tarnation  sile  that  druv  Jack  and 
Betty  from  'ome,  and  braked  old  Mr.  Wilson's  'eart. 
But,  Trueletta,  ain't, you  gwine  to  shake  your  old 
friend's  'and  ?  (  Trueletta  goes  up.  Rastus  grabs  her 
and  gives  her  a  big  smack  kiss.  They  fight,  separate 
and  Rastus  laughs  heartily.  Rastus  runs  out.) 

BETTY  (enters) :  Why,  Trueletta,  what  does  this 
noise  mean? 

TRUELETTA:  Missus  Betty,  who  is  you  think's 
here?  My  old  trouble — that  ornery,  diabolical  yeller 
nigger  what's  used  to  do  hostler  wurk  for  Silas  Wat 
son  back  in  Cobstown.  He's  just  came  in  and  dropped 
that  big  sack.  (Rastus  peeps  in,  afraid  to  enter,  but 
all  in  smiles.  Trueletta  drags  the  sack  out.  Betty 
straightens  things  up  a  bit.  Sees  Rastus.) 

BETTY:  I  declare,  there's  my  old  friend.  Rastus, 
come  right  in  here.  (Rastus  enters.  Betty  sits.) 
How  do  you  do,  Rastus.  Now,  sir,  tell  me  where  did 
you  come  from. 

RASTUS:  You  looks  so  fine,  I  can't  speechify.  I 
can't  find  my  bref .  It's  all  gone  in  my  feets. 

BETTY:     How's  father  and  mother? 

RASTUS:  Poorly,  Missus  Betty,  mighty  poorly. 
The  old  place  ain't  the  same  no  more.  They's  missed 
you,  Betty — you'se  and  Mr.  Jack  and  Mr.  Donald. 
So'd  iverybody  miss  you.  Gee  (smiles  all  over),  but 
you'se  looks  fine !  I  can't  tek  my  eyes  off  you.  (Now 
very  seriously.)  And,  Missus  Betty,  ah  missed  you, 
too. 

BETTY:  Come  out  in  the  kitchen.  I  want  you  to 
tell  me  about  everybody  at  home.  (They  go  out. 
Trueletta  enters.  Straightens  the  table.) 


BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES  25 

TRUELETTA  :  Ah  won't  say  so  to  'im,  but  I'se  never 
so  glad  to  see  a  body  as  that  old  niggah.  That  smack 
he  gives  me  certainly  wus  sweet.  I  wouldn't  tells  him, 
though.  Nevah  tell  a  hemale  you  likes  to  be  kissed ; 
if  you  do,  they'll  make  it  a  habit.  I  hate  habits. 
(Sings  and  moves  out.) 

(Enter  Donald.  Takes  off  his  coat.  In  work 
clothes.  Goes  to  mirror  and  brushes  hair.  Puts  on  a 
lighter  coat.  Sits  and  reads  a  paper.) 

BETTY  (enters,  goes  to  Donald,  kisses  him)  :  Hello 
dearie,  dear. 

DONALD  :     Hello  Betty,  pet. 

BETTY  (sits  on  arm  of  chair)  :  Bet  you  can't  guess 
who's  here.  No,  don't  try.  It's  Rastus. 

DONALD:     Rastus  who. 

BETTY:  Rastus  Washington  Lincoln,  goose!  He 
just  came  from  home.  Brought  some  soil  for  Jack  to 
analyze. 

DONALD:  Oh,  yes,  Jack  told  me.  He's  making  a 
special  study  of  soil.  Said  he  wanted  to  analyze  that 
black  swamp  land  of  your  father's  and  make  some  pot 
experiments  with  it.  Jack  thinks  that  land,  if  drained, 
will  grow  alfalfa.  Says  if  it  will,  it  will  make  five  tons 
or  more  to  the  acre,  and  40  acres  will  make  200  tons. 
Every  ton  is  worth  $15  right  at  the  farm.  That's 
$3,000.  Jack  says  one  year's  crop  would  pay  off  the 
mortgage  on  the  farm. 

BETTY:  Wonder  where  Jack  is.  He  ought  to  be 
here  now.  It's  almost  supper  time.  He'll  be  glad  to 
see  Rastus. 


26  BETWEEN   TWO  LIVES 

DONALD  :  Betty,  do  you  remember  four  years  ago  ? 
(Betty  sobs.)  Don't  cry,  dear.  There's  nothing  to 
regret.  I'm  glad  everything  happened.  I'm  glad  you 
ran  away;  glad  that  Jack  quarreled  with  his  father; 
glad  we  followed  you.  You  did  give  us  a  run,  but  a 
doting  brother  and  a  loving  sweetheart  are  too  much 
for  a  cur  like  that  scoundrel  that  took  you  away.  Let's 
see,  you  left  your  home  about  four  in  the  afternoon 
and  by  nine  o'clock  we  found  you,  just  waiting  for  a 
train.  Oh,  Betty,  dear,  I  know  if  we  had  been  20 
minutes  later  you  would  have  been  lost  to  me  forever. 
Are  you  sorry? 

BETTY  :  Sorry,  Donald,  darling !  I'm  happy  every 
minute  of  the  day.  I'm  never  sad.  If  I  were,  all  I'd 
need  would  just  be  to  think  of  the  narrow  escape  I 
had.  How  I  do  long  to  tell  every  girl  I  know  never 
to  have  anything  to  do  with  a  strange  man!  And  to 
think  he  was  married,  too !  Oh,  it's  awful ! 

DONALD:  Now,  now,  sweetheart,  no  more  of  this. 
What's  past  is  gone  forever.  He  got  his  deserts.  He 
has  still  many  years  in  the  state's  prison,  serving  that 
forgery  charge.  And  you're  here,  my  wife,  and 
Jack's  here,  and  we're  all  well.  Jack  graduates  to 
morrow,  and  he  is  sure  to  do  credit  to  all.  Isn't  this  a 
fine  world  after  all?  There's  Jack.  No  more  tears. 
(Betty  runs  out.) 

JACK  :  Hello,  old  man.  In  early,  aren't  you,  or  am 
I  late?  I  was  busy  on  some  work  I  was  doing.  Do 
you  know,  old  man,  I  think  we  struck  something  good. 
Got  a  new  kind  of  spraying  material — made  it  out  of 
lime  and  sulphur,  and  it  kills  the  scale  on  trees.  I'm 
just  wild  to  carry  it  through.  It's  certain  to  be  worth 
thousands  of  dollars  every  year  to  fruit  growers. 


BETWEEN    TWO   LIVES  27 

DONALD:  I'm  learning  things,  too,  Jack.  To  have 
a  job  on  this  college  farm  is  almost  equal  to  an  educa 
tion.  I  don't  get  all  the  theory,  but  I  do  get  the  prac 
tice.  I  get  theory,  too,  because  I  have  been  reading 
your  books,  and  the  agricultural  papers,  and  today  I 
know  a  thousand  times  more  about  farming  than  I  did 
four  years  ago,  when  we  came  here. 

JACK  :  You're  right,  Donald.  Hasn't  ours  been  an 
experience?  Just  think  of  it!  We  came  here  four 
years  ago  with  Betty,  with  hardly  a  cent  between  us. 
To  protect  Betty's  good  name,  you,  the  fine  brick  you 
are,  married  her  two  hours  later.  And  we  went  to 
work  right  away  here.  You  to  feed  and  clothe  and 
keep  Betty,  and  I  to  make  my  way  through  college. 
They've  been  busy  years,  every  one,  but  every  day 
we've  learned  something.  Actually,  Donald,  we  are 
better  off  than  had  we  remained  at  home.  I've  fin 
ished  a  four-year  course  in  agriculture,  paid  every 
cent  of  expense  and  have  a  nice  bank  account  besides. 
I've  milked  cows,  hauled  manure,  hoed  weeds  and  done 
a  hundred  jobs  besides,  and  yet  I've  enjoyed  every 
minute.  And  you,  Donald,  you've  done  better.  You've 
proved  yourself  the  best  man  I  ever  knew.  You've 
made  a  home  for  Betty  and  me,  and  you've  never  once 
complained. 

DONALD:  Why,  old  chap,  why  should  I  complain? 
Haven't  you  helped  ?  Haven't  you  paid  for  your  board 
and  room  ?  Haven't  you  taught  me,  showed  me  what 
to  read  ?  Why,  man,  I  couldn't  be  better  off.  I  have 
a  bank  account,  too.  Betty  and  I  have  been  saving 
several  dollars  every  week  after  we  got  settled  since 
we've  been  here.  I  like  my  work.  I've  learned  \vhat  I 
wouldn't  sell  for  $10,000.  Some  day  I'll  leave  here 
and  farm  on  my  own  account  and  then  that  knowledge 
will  bring  in  big  dividends. 


28  BETWEEN    TWO    LIVES 

JACK:  That's  a  fact,  Donald.  It's  been  fine  for 
both  of  us.  Heaven  sent  us  here  together.  Had  we 
had  our  way  we  would  be  at  home,  doing  just  like 
other  people.  Here  we've  had  a  vision;  here  we  see 
the  goodness  of  things,  the  big  outlook  of  country  life. 
(Walks  to  side  and  front,  looks  up,  throws  out  his 
arms.)  Oh,  God,  I  thank  thee  for  Silas  Watson.  I 
thank  thee  for  father's  blow.  I  thank  thee  for  Betty's 
trouble  and  for  Thy  protection  at  that  time.  Keep  me 
true,  clean  minded,  teach  me  to  walk  straight,  let  me 
never  forget  truth  and  honor,  and  direct  my  footsteps 
ever  to  the  country — out  among  my  folks,  to  the  fields 
and  the  skies.  (Comes  back  to  Donald.)  Well,  well, 
old  man,  it's  a  good  world,  anyway. 

BETTY  (enters)  :  What  are  you  boys  doing?  So 
serious?  This  isn't  a  funeral.  We've  got  a  visitor. 

JACK  :    A  visitor — who  ? 

BETTY  :     Rastus  Washington  Abraham  Lincoln. 

JACK  :     Is  that  so  ?     Where  ?     I  want  to  see  him. 

BETTY:  He's  out  in  the  kitchen  with  Trueletta. 
Now,  hurry  up,  supper  is  nearly  ready.  (Jack  starts 
out.)  Don't  be  gone  long,  Jack. 

BETTY  (puts  hand  on  Donald) :  The  world's  so 
good  to  me.  I'm  so  happy.  If  mother  were  only 
here,  and  father! 

DONALD:  I'm  glad  for  your  sake,  Betty.  If  Jack 
only  had  a  wife  like  you !  By  the  way,  do  you  ever 
hear  anything  of  Gertie  Bowers?  I  wonder  where 
she  is. 

BETTY  :  Now,  Donald,  I'll  tell  you  a  secret.  Promise 
you  won't  tell  ? 

DONALD:     Never;  I  never  tell  your  secrets. 


BETWEEN    TWO   LIVES  2Q 

BETTY  :  Well,  I  am  expecting  Gertie  tonight.  Jack 
doesn't  know  that  Gertie  has  been  back  at  Cobstown 
teaching  the  old  school  again  this  past  year.  You  aw 
ful  boys  were  so  angry  when  you  left  that  you  never  go 
back  and  never  write,  so  you  don't  know  what's  hap 
pening  there.  Gertie  went  to  the  state  normal  school, 
studied  domestic  science  and  agriculture  along  with 
her  other  studies.  She  finished  her  work  in  three 
years,  and  tonight  is  coming  here — to  attend  com 
mencement  and  see  Jack  graduate. 

DONALD  :     She  loves  him,  then. 

BETTY:  I  don't  know.  She's  never  said  so.  But, 
oh,  she's  doing  such  fine  work  in  the  old  school.  Got 
everybody  interested.  Has  classes  in  agriculture, 
cooking,  sewing,  and  teaches  a  lot  of  things  about 
country  life.  She  writes  that  there  is  coming  over  the 
country  a  new  idea  in  education.  But  I  can't  tell  you 
all;  you'll  have  to  get  her  to  tell.  Now,  remember, 
nothing  of  this  to  Jack. 

DONALD:  Betty,  I  just  love  you  more  and  more 
every  day.  You  are  the  sweetest  and  completest  girl 
in  all  the  world. 

(Trueletta  enters,  scratching  herself.) 

BETTY:  What's  the  matter,  Trueletta?  You  give 
me  the  creeps. 

TRUELETTA:  It's  germanies,  Mishess  Brooks;  I 
cotched  'em  in  Mister  Jack's  room. 

DONALD  :  Fiddlesticks,  Trueletta !  What  are  you 
talking  about?  You  mean  germs — bacteria.  They 
don't  hurt  anybody.  They  are  the  things  that  make 
milk  sour  and  alfalfa  to  grow. 

TRUELETTA  :  I  don't  know  what  they  do,  but  they're 
growing  on  me.  I  feels  'em  all  over.  (Donald  goes 


3O  BETWEEN    TWO    LIVES 

to  Jack's  room,  brings  out  a  twig  with  San  Jose  scale, 
some  alfalfa  or  clover  roots  and  some  clover  seed.) 

DONALD:  Here  they  are,  they  won't  hurt.  (As  he 
throws  a  few  seed  in  the  air  Trueletta  throws  up  her 
hands,  runs  out,  exclaiming.) 

TRUELETTA:  Good  laws  a  Massa!  They's  growd 
as  big  as  beans. 

JACK  (enters):  I  saw  Rastus;  he's  surely  rigged 
out.  He's  so  happy  it  oozes  out  all  over  his  grinning 
old  head. 

BETTY:  Come,  boys,  .supper  is  ready  and  I'm 
hungry.  (They  go  out.) 

(Trueletta,  with  Rastus  in  hand,  walks  in.  Rastus 
still  grinning.) 

TRUELETTA:  Now,  you  keep  out  of  my  kitchen. 
I've  got  to  serve  this  supper  and  I  don't  want  no 
niggah  around.  You  set  on  that  chair  till  I  comes  for 
you. 

RASTUS:  Yessam,  purty  one.  (He  sits,  then  gets 
up,  walks  on  tip-toe  around  the  room.  Picks  up  some 
books.)  Why  wasn't  I  a  scholar?  I  kin  read,  yessir; 
I  kin  read.  Readin'  ain't  my  speshulty,  howsoever. 
Neither  ain't  geogaf  ry,  nor  figgerin'.  I  guess  I'm  best 
at  talkin'.  (In  walking  around  he  comes  to  window, 
which  is  open.  Sees  a  man  looking  in.  Let's  a  yell 
and  runs  the  opposite  way.  Collides  with  Trueletta, 
who  enters  from  the  door.  Donald,  Betty  and  Jack 
come  in  also.  Will  Jefferson,  as  a  convict,  jumps 
through  the  window,  a  revolver  in  his  hand.  True 
letta  drops  to  floor.  Rastus  jumps  under  the  table.) 

WILL:  Hands  up.  (Sees  Betty.)  My  God,  you 
herel 


BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES  31 

BETTY  :    Donald ! 

JACK:  Who  are  you?  What  are  you  doing  here? 
Oh,  I  see  you  are  Will  Jefferson.  (Betty  stands  by 
Donald.)  Put  up  your  gun.  (Walks  up  to  him.) 
Explain. 

WILL:  Oh,  save  me!  You  know  all  about  me. 
I'm  a  bad  egg,  I  know.  I  came  here  hoping  to  hide, 
I  escaped  from  the  pen.  They're  after  me.  I  don't 
want  to  be  taken  back.  (Falls  on  his  knees.)  Save 
me,  oh,  save  me! 

JACK  :  Get  up.  Be  a  man.  You  might  have  been, 
but  I  doubt  if  you  can.  Tell  me,  do  you  deserve  what 
you  got? 

WILL:  I  guess  I  do.  I  didn't  mean  to  do  what  I 
did.  I  got  in  a  hole.  I  had  to  have  money.  I  forged 
the  note. 

JACK:  Then  pay  the  cost.  What  if  we  were  to 
save  you?  You'd  be  caught  any  way.  You'd  be 
hunted  the  world  over.  Give  yourself  up ;  you 
danced,  now  pay  the  fiddler.  You  ruined  your  own 
home,  forsook  your  family,  nearly  ruined  another,  and 
now  you  come  cringing  for  mercy.  What  would  you  do 
with  mercy?  Break  another  heart;  imperil  another 
soul.  Go  back  to  prison,  pay  that  debt.  Do  right  and 
live  right  and  then  when  your  sentence  is  finished  you 
can  come  out  and  try  again.  If  you  were  to  escape 
now,  it  would  mean  your  ruin  forever. 

(Heavy  rap  on  door.     Billy  admits  prison  guard.) 

PRISON  GUARD  :  You  have  my  man,  I  see.  He  gave 
me  a  chase.  I  thought  I  had  lost  him.  Come  here, 
sir.  We  go  back.  Thank  you  for  this  trouble. 


32  BETWEEN    TWO    LIVES 

WILL:  I  guess  this  is  best.  I'll  think  over  what 
you  said.  Madam,  forgive  me  for  the  wrong  I  once 
did  you.  I  have  no  excuse.  Fast  living  in  the  city 
did  it.  Cities  are  bad  places  for  young  people.  There 
are  a  thousand  pitfalls.  I  fell  in  them  all — drink,  dens 
of  vice,  gambling,  gay  lights,  amusements.  They  are 
all  empty.  They  glitter  without,  but  inside  are  hollow. 
Had  I  been  born  and  reared  in  the  country,  had  I  been 
required  to  work,  been  taught  to  read  and  think  and 
study,  I'd  never  been  where  I  am  today. 

PRISON  GUARD  :     Come  on ;  we  got  to  go. 

WILL  (to  the  others)  :  Take  this  from  one  who's 
down  and  out — the  world  is  sweetest  in  the  country; 
toil  in  the  fields  and  gardens  makes  men  and  women 
of  boys  and  girls.  You  think  farm  work  is  a  hard 
ship;  it's  a  blessing — the  best  gift  that  you  can  get. 
You  think  the  city  is  gay  and  full  of  happiness;  it's 
full  of  misery  and  rotten  deceit.  You  who  were  not 
born  in  the  city  think  if  you  could  only  live  there,  your 
lives  would  be  full  and  complete;  undeceive  your 
selves.  Rejoice  every  day  of  your  life  that  you  were 
born  in  the  country.  Go  back  to  it ;  take  the  fields  to 
your  bosom,  make  friends  of  the  birds  and  flowers,  be 
companions  of  the  animals  and  learn  of  their  kindness, 
sweetness,  unselfishness.  In  the  country  you're  a 
man,  a  real  being ;  in  the  city  you're  a  make-believe,  a 
slave.  (Turns.)  Prison  guard,  I'm  ready.  I'm 
going  back — to  prepare  myself  to  be  a  man.  Forgive 
me,  pray  for  me.  I  need  it ;  my  sins  killed  my  mother ; 
they  drove  my  angel  wife  to  the  grave.  Good-by. 
(They  go  out.) 

DONALD  (puts  arm  around  Betty's  shoulder)  :  Poor 
man !  My  sympathy  goes  out  to  him.  How  true  it  is : 
whatsoever  one  sows  that  also  shall  he  reap. 


BETWEEN    TWO    LIVES  33 

BETTY  (puts  hands  on  his  shoulders,  looks  into  his 
face)  :  The  truest,  best,  kindest,  sweetest,  noblest 
man  in  all  the  world  (kissing  him). 

JACK:  Here,  this  won't  do;  cheer  up,  everybody. 
Rastus,  you  help  Trueletta  with  the  dishes.  (Rastus 
and  Trueletta  go  out.)  And  tomorrow's  commencement. 
(Rap  on  door.)  Hello,  somebody's  coming.  (Goes 
to  the  door.  Enter  Gertie  with  hand  bag.) 

GERTIE:  Good  evening,  all.  (Betty  rushes  to  her 
and  takes  her  in  her  arms.  Jack  looks  on  thunder 
struck.  After  the  embrace  she  offers  her  hand  to 
Jack.) 

GERTIE  :     Aren't  you  glad  to  see  me,  Mr.  Wilson  ? 

JACK:  Why,  Gertie — Miss  Bowers,  I'm  so  glad  to 
see  you.  This  is  joy,  indeed.  Here,  old  man  (to 
Donald),  welcome  our  old  friend  into  our  home. 
(Donald  gives  his  hand,  as  he  does  saying) : 

DONALD:  Welcome,  thrice  welcome  and  then  an 
other  welcome  besides ! 

(Betty  helps  her  off  with  her  wraps,  kisses  her 
again.) 

GERTIE  :  I'm  just  in  from  Cobstown.  School  closed 
two  weeks  ago,  but  I  was  finishing  up  some  work  with 
my  boys  and  girls — we're  preparing  a  little  ground  for 
some  wheat  experiments  this  fall  and  were  anxious  to 
have  some  cowpeas  planted  to  get  their  good  services 
during  the  summer. 

JACK:  What  do  you  know  about  cowpeas — you,  a 
girl,  a  woman? 

GERTIE:  Why  shouldn't  I  know,  why  shouldn't 
every  girl  know  about  cowpeas  and  root  tubercles  ?  We 
learn  in  school  how  the  earth  turns  on  its  axis,  so  why 


34  BETWEEN    TWO   LIVES 

shouldn't  w.e  know  a  little  about  how  bacteria  build  up 
the  earth  and  make  land  rich  and  fertile? 

JACK:  But  Miss  Bowers,  where  did  you  learn 
about  such  things?  I  thought  you  hated  country 
things. 

GERTIE:  No,  not  that  I  ever  hated  the  country — I 
love  it.  What  I  hate  is  the  narrow,  bitter  life  that  so 
many  farmers  unnecessarily  build  around  themselves. 
Farmers  are  God's  chosen  people,  with  all  the  very 
best  things  of  life  at  their  very  doors.  Yet  somehow 
they  just  simply  fail  to  take  unto  themselves  these 
good  things  that  would  come  of  their  own  accord  if 
they  were  just  given  the  chance. 

BETTY  :  That's  right.  I  often  think  now  how  easy 
we  could  have  added  comforts  to  our  old  house — how 
many  good  times  we  could  have  had — how  many 
evenings  in  winter  we  could  have  enlivened  with 
friends  if  we  had  just  taken  a  little  pleasure,  not 
trouble,  in  inviting  out  friends  to  come  in.  Take  the 
telephone.  Jack,  you  know  how  hard  we  tried  to  get 
father  to  have  one  put  in;  but  he  said  it  only  con 
tributed  to  women  gossiping  and  he  wouldn't  budge 
an  inch.  There's  dozens  of  ways  to  brighten  things 
up  on  the  farm. 

DONALD:  I  have  learned  lots  of  things  in  the  four 
years  I've  been  working  here.  One  is,  that  money  is 
only  a  means  of  doing  things.  I'm  glad  of  this  city 
experience  for  one  thing :  it's  taught  me  what  comfort 
in  the  home  means.  Betty,  when  we  get  on  our  own 
farm,  I'll  put  in  modern  conveniences  the  first  thing. 
If  a  bigger  barn  is  needed  it  will  have  to  wait  until  you 
get  a  furnace-heated  house ;  and  a  water  system  with 
kitchen  sinks,  a  bathroom  and  decent  lights.  I'll  see 
that  we  have  a  cozy  living  room  with  a  table  for  books 


BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES  35 

and  papers,  a  real  agricultural  library  and  music  and 
comfortable  chairs — 

BETTY  :     And  nice  warm  slippers  for  your  big  feet. 

DONALD:  Oh!  I  mean  it.  I  mean  every  word  I 
say.  I  have  been  figuring  these  things  up.  Do  you 
know,  one  reasonably  good-sized  bunch  of  fat  hogs  will 
pay  for  them  all? 

JACK:  Donald,  you've  learned  the  greatest  lesson 
there  is  in  agriculture.  A  four-year  course  couldn't 
teach  more  than  what  you  have  just  said.  Do  you 
agree  with  me,  Miss  Bowers  ? 

GERTIE:  From  the  bottom  of  my  heart  I  do,  Mr. 
Wilson.  I  don't  know  if  you  know  it  or  not,  but  I, 
too,  am  a  graduate.  Don't  look  surprised !  I  finished 
at  the  state  normal  last  year.  This  year  I've  been 
teaching  at  Cobstown.  If  there's  one  lesson  I  have 
been  trying  to  drive  home  to  my  pupils  it's  been  to 
show  the  glory  of  country  life.  I've  been  trying  to 
show  the  dignity  of  farming  over  clerking  in  stores, 
selling  medicines  over  the  counter  of  a  drug  store  or 
handing  out  somebody  else's  money  over  the  bank  coun 
ter.  I  want  my  boys  and  girls  to  go  back  home  after 
they  quit  school  with  the  idea  of  building  real,  human 
homes  in  which  growing  hearts  and  brains  and  souls 
may  be  harbored.  Mr.  Brooks  is  right.  Education  is 
nothing,  can  mean  nothing,  if  it  fails  to  develop  char 
acter,  or  fails  to  teach  how  to  live. 

JACK:  I  go  still  further.  Some  of  the  meanest 
men  I  know  are  rich  in  worldly  goods.  Home  is 
nothing  to  them ;  they  are  mentally  and  spiritually 
starved.  Some  of  the  worst  failures  in  life  are  col 
lege  graduates.  There  are  boys  right  here  in  this 
school  who  know  many  languages,  who  can  solve  all 


36  BETWEEN    TWO   LIVES 

sorts  of  problems  in  mathematics,  who  know  history 
by  the  book  and  yet  they  will  fail  in  carrying  on  the 
real,  worth-while  things  of  life. 

GERTIE:  The  education  Mr.  Brooks  has  acquired 
is  the  most  deserving  of  a  diploma  of  nine-tenths  of 
the  work  done  in  any  school. 

BETTY:  I  didn't  know  my  country  boy  was  a 
graduate. 

GERTIE:  He  has  graduated;  he's  learned  how  to 
live. 

JACK:  And  that's  the  sum  and  substance  of  all 
education. 

TRUELETTA  (enters) :  Missus  Brooks,  how  'bout 
sum  bread  for  breakfus'?  We's  all  out.  (Betty  rises 
and  moves  back.) 

BETTY  :  I  declare !  So  many  things  have  happened 
tonight.  I'll  soon  have  you  all  starving.  Come, 
Donald,  walk  with  me  to  the  bakery.  (Donald  rises 
and  takes  up  his  hat.) 

BETTY:  You'll  excuse  us  a  little  while,  will  you? 
That  diploma  of  Donald's  has  so  swollen  his  head  I'll 
have  to  take  him  in  the  air  to  cool  it  off. 

DONALD  :  Gertie,  it's  mighty  fine  to  have  you  with 
us  again.  And  I'm  so  glad  (looking  toward  Jack) 
you  like  the  country. 

(Jack  and  Gertie  arise.  Gertie  takes  a  chair  toward 
the  front.  Jack  comes  forward.  Donald  and  Betty 
go  out.) 

JACK  :  You  surprised  me  about  your  college  course. 
I  never  knew.  Why  didn't  you  write  and  tell  me  ? 

GERTIE:     How  could  I,  Mr.  Wilson?     I — 


BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES  37 

JACK:  Gertie,  can't  we  be  just  Gertie  and  Jack  as 
we  used  to  be?  (He  takes  her  hand,  she  rises  and 
ivalks  away,  confused,  but  happy.) 

JACK:  Gertie,  won't  you  speak  to  me?  (She 
hangs  her  head,  takes  her  handkerchief.)  Have  four 
years  carried  you  beyond  me  ?  Are  you  lost  to  me  for 
ever?  I  swear  my  love  is  a  thousand  times  truer  and 
stronger  today  than  ever. 

GERTIE  :  You  never  said — never  wrote — never  tried 
to  find  me. 

JACK  :  Oh,  Gertie,  I  didn't  know.  When  you  said 
you  wouldn't  be  a  farmer's  wife,  wouldn't  marry  me, 
my  soul  collapsed.  I  came  here — resolved  to  spend 
four  years  in  studying  agriculture.  What  hope  could 
I  have?  Every  young  man  is  in  love  with  you.  I 
had  no  prospects,  no  money — and,  above  all — no  right 
even  to  ask  you  to  wait.  That's  why  I  never  tried  to 
find  you.  I  couldn't  even  bear  to  see  you.  Now  it's 
different.  You  came  tonight — you  are  the  dawn  of  a 
new  day  to  me.  If  it  isn't  too  late,  give  me  a  chance — 
just  a  fighting  chance — that's  all  I  ask,  Gertie. 

GERTIE:     Yes,  Mr. — Jack,  I'm  listening. 

JACK:  In  my  dreams,  aye,  in  my  work — in  the 
laboratory — in  the  barns — summer  and  winter,  I've 
thought  of  you;  you  were  my  inspiration;  you  went 
before  me,  a  spirit,  your  hand  out  beckoning  me.  I 
often  almost  stopped.  I  worked  so  hard — the  tasks 
often  were  bitter;  I  was  almost  ready  to  give  up. 
Then  you,  dear  heart,  you  in  spirit  appeared.  You 
smiled,  you  cheered;  you  were  again  the  inspiration. 
And  I'm  here,  with  just  a  night  between  that  past  and 
the  commencement  of  tomorrow. 

GERTIE  (smiling,  taking  his  hand)  :     And,  Jack,  may 


38  BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES 

it  be  a  real  commencement — your  own  glorious  com 
mencement  of  great  and  noble  deeds ! 

JACK  :  Without  you,  Gertie,  it  would  be  the  ending, 
not  the  commencement. 

GERTIE  :     No,  not  that,  Jack. 

JACK  :  Listen,  Gertie.  I'm  in  the  dark,  I  can't  see. 
I  only  know  that  I  love  you — I  worship  you — mind 
and  soul  and  body.  I  want  that  fighting  chance  to 
win  you.  May  I  have  it? 

GERTIE:  Four  years  are  much.  Love  often  burns 
out  in  a  far  shorter  time.  I  don't  know,  Jack !  Our 
lives  have  been  so  far  apart.  You  have  been  in  my 
thoughts  also — I  often  wondered  what  you  were  doing, 
how  you  were  getting  along.  I  knew  you  were  here, 
but  I  thought  you  no  longer  cared  for  me.  I — 

JACK:  Gertie,  a  country  boy,  just  a  plain  country 
boy,  lays  his  love  at  your  feet.  The  boy  isn't  good 
enough  for  you,  but  his  honor  is  unstained,  his  love 
is  pure,  his  past  is  clean.  Otherwise,  he  hasn't  much  to 
offer  of  that  past.  But  of  his  future  he  offers  every 
thing — his  loyalty,  devotion,  affection,  life.  Whatever 
happens,  he'll  be  true,  he  will  work  for  your  comfort, 
give  his  labor  into  your  keeping,  his  rewards  into  your 
hands.  Gertie,  I  can't  say  more — only  this:  I  love 
you. 

GERTIE  :  That's  much — all  any  man  can  say.  And 
I'll  answer  you.  Yes,  I  will  make  a  promise.  If  at 
a  later  day,  when  the  excitement  of  this  meeting  has 
waned,  when  in  your  sober  mind  you  have  thought  all 
things  out,  and  you  still  want  me,  as  you  do  now,  I — 
(Jack  starts  toward  her.)  I'll  give  you  my  answer. 
Here's  my  hand  on  the  promise.  (Jack  takes  it, 
covers  it  with  kisses.) 


BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES  39 

(Donald  and  Betty  return  with  several  packages.) 

BETTY:  What  a  glorious  night!  Isn't  it  glorious 
to  be  alive  ? 

GERTIE:  Indeed,  you're  right.  (Looks  at  Jack.) 
I  can  honestly  say  that  life  was  never  so  wonderful  to 
me  as  at  this  very  moment.  (All  look  up,  happy  and 
surprised.) 

JACK  :  And  you  mean  that?  (She  nods  her  head.) 
Betty,  Donald,  I  took  advantage  of  your  absence.  I 
asked  Gertie  again  to  marry  me.  She  hasn't  promised. 
She  gave  me  hope — a  chance — and  I  shall  win. 

GERTIE:  Yes,  that's  true,  but  he  must  be  sure. 
(Betty  goes  up  and  takes  Gertie  in  her  arms.) 

BETTY  :  The  world  was  never  sweeter  than  tonight. 
I,  too,  was  never  so  happy.  (She  walks  toward  kitchen 
and  calls.)  Trueletta!  (No  answer.)  I  wonder 
where  those  two  brats  have  gone. 

(Knock  at  door — enter  Mrs.  Wilson  and  Abagail.) 

DONALD  :     No  end  to  surprises. 

BETTY:     Mother!  (folds  her  in  her  arms). 

JACK  :  Oh,  darling  mother !  (Jack  takes  them  both 
in  his  arms). 

ABAGAIL  (shakes  hands  with  all) :  I  brought  her. 
She  was  just  pining  away.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  men's 
work,  she'd  been  ten  years  younger.  (All  greet  each 
other.) 

GERTIE  :     I  see  that  you  still  find  fault  with  the  men. 

ABAGAIL:  Find  fault;  they's  made  up  of  faults. 
That's  all  they  is — just  faults.  Ugh,  deliver  me  from 
a  man! 


40  BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES 

BETTY:  Oh,  I'm  so  happy  and  so  glad  you  came! 
(Embraces  her  again.)  How's  father,  mother? 

MRS.  WILSON:  He  misses  you  Betty — misses  you 
both.  (Jack  looks  up,  starts.)  He's  waiting  for  you 
to  come  home.  I  knew  you  wouldn't  until  Jack  fin 
ished  his  schoolin'.  He  wouldn't  write ;  he  doesn't  say 
much,  but  he  feels  and  I  know  he's  sorry  for  all  that's 
passed.  You  mustn't  hold  things  against  him — you're 
his  children — he  lov-es  you — he's  waiting  for  you  to 
come  home.  You  will,  Jack,  you  will  come  home? 
(All  look  at  Jack,  confused.) 

JACK:  I  can't,  mother.  I  love  the  old  farm,  but 
he  looks  at  things  differently  than  I.  I  wanted  to  do 
some  things  then,  I  would  want  to  do  a  hundred  now. 
He  would  never  consent  to  what  I  would  want  to  do. 

MRS.  WILSON  :  Jack,  my  boy  (takes  his  hand,  rises, 
she  pats  his  hand,  he  puts  his  arm  about  her),  his  work 
is  done.  Yours  begins  now.  The  farm  is  yours  and 
Betty's,  anyway,  after  our  time.  Come  home,  it's  to 
be  a  partnership.  And  Betty  and  Donald,  too.  There's 
room  for  all.  You  boys  are  big  and  strong  and  full  of 
new  ideas.  Father  and  I  will  help,  will  work  with  you. 
You  come  back  home — back  on  the  old  farm — our 
farm ;  we'll  live  a  new  life  henceforth.  You'll  come  ? 
(Jack  doesn't  answer.) 

GERTIE:  Jack,  your  mother  speaks.  You  gradu 
ate  tomorrow ;  it's  your  commencement.  It's  the  com 
mencement  of  your  big  future  in  the  country,  among 
your  own  people,  among  country  folk — the  big- 
hearted,  loving,  wonderful  country  people.  To  the 
country,  Jack,  which  God  made — not  the  city,  which 
man  made.  That's  the  place  you're  called  to  go.  Your 
mother,  Jack,  is  the  messenger — you  must  answer  her. 


BETWEEN    TWO   LIVES  4! 

JACK  (hesitates):  What  can  I  say?  Yes,  it's  to 
be  home — the  old  home.  I  will  go  to  father  and 
mother  and  the  farm.  And  you,  Betty  and  Donald, 
you're  to  come,  too.  And  some  day  I  hope  another 
(looking  to  Gertie)  will  also  join  in  partnership. 

(Curtain) 


NOTE. — At  the  close  of  this  act,  before  the  curtain 
goes  down,  a  quartette  or  double  quartette  of  boys,  or 
boys  and  girls,  representing  college  boys  and  girls,  may 
enter  and  sing  a  song  of  their  own  selection  or  the  fol 
lowing,  sung  to  the  chant, 

The  Gloria  Patri 

To  dig  out  Greek  and  Latin  roots 

We  did  not  come  to  college ; 
But  of  the  earth  and  all  her  fruits 

To  get  a  store  of  knowledge. 
Our  thoughts  to  beef  do  mostly  turn, 

To  cabbage  and  tomatoes ; 
We  want  to  learn  the  cheapest  way 

Of  raising  big  potatoes. 
And  when  we've  found  out  how  to  grow 

The  rich  and  luscious  pumpkins 
Then  home  to  father's  farm  we'll  go 

And  shine  among  the  bumpkins.     Amen. 


ACT  III 

Wilson's  living  room.  Same  as  Act  I,  but  changed 
in  furnishings.  Cozy  chairs,  stove  removed.  Book 
case  with  books,  telephone  and  other  features  of  an  up- 
to-date,  modern,  prosperous  farm  home  living  room. 

SAM  (coming  in  with  an  armful  of  mail) :  True- 
letta!  I  wonder  where  that  miserable,  contrary  rat 
head  is !  (Sits  down  in  chair,  opens  a  paper,  starts  to 
read). 

SAM  :  Think  of  me  settin'  down  and  readin'.  Golly, 
don't  times  change,  though?  When  I  begun  to  work 
on  this  here  farm  there  wa'n't  nary  a  paper  took  in 
this  house.  Never  had  to  bother  about  no  mail  box 
then.  (Telephone  rings.)  Nor  about  sich  things  as 
tellerfones  neither !  Wonder  where  that  lazy  nigger  is  ? 
(Goes  to  'phone.)  Hullo!  Yas!  Naw,  this  ain't 
her!  This's  Sam!  Yes,  Sam.  Oh,  how  de  do,  Mr. 
Watson  i  No,  he  ain't  here  now.  The  hull  family 
left  an  hour  ago  in  the  mobile  car.  Where?  Oh,  to 
John  Brooks'  house.  They'll  be  back  any  minute. 
Good-by.  (Sam  hangs  up  receiver,  goes  back  to  chair. 
Puts  his  feet  on  table.  Then  gets  up,  goes  out  to 
pantry,  gets  a  big  piece  of  pie,  starts  to  eat.  Returns. 
Sits.  Puts  feet  up,  gets  paper,  and  reads.  Rubs  his 
stomach.) 

SAM:  That  nigger  gal  ain't  nothin'  on  looks,  but 
she  am  mighty  swell  on  cookin'  pie.  (Knock  on  door. 
Continues  to  read.  Knock  a  second  time.)  Where's 
that  gurl,  anyway,  I'd  like  to  know.  Why  ain't  she 
here  t-endin'  her  duties?  (Rap  continues.)  Come  in! 

42 


BETWEEN    TWO   LIVES  43 

ABAGAIL  (his  back  to  the  door,  continues  to  read)  : 
This  is  hospitality,  ain't  it?  But  what  can  you  expect 
of  a  man?  (Sam  turns,  face  brightens,  jumps  up.) 

SAM  :  Gracious  me,  am  that  you,  Abagail  ?  I  was 
jist  thinkin'  of  you.  I  was  so  lonely. 

ABAGAIL  :  Well,  I  didn't  come  to  take  any  of  your 
loneliness  away.  Whare's  the  folks? 

SAM  :  I'se  here  to  represent  'em.  I'se  all  the  folks 
there  is  just  now.  All's  gone  but  me. 

ABAGAIL:  Goodness  me,  am  I  alone  in  this  house 
with  you?  I  was  never  alone  with  a  man  before. 
Think  of  my  reputation !  (Moves  toward  door.) 

SAM  :  Well,  I  ain't  goin'  to  hurt  your  reputation ! 
Ain't  we's  old  enough  without  fearin'  such  things  as 
reputations  ?  I  don't  fear  mine. 

ABAGAIL  :  You  ain't  got  none  and  never  had  none ; 
no  man  has.  I'm  goin'.  I  wouldn't  stay  here  for 
nothing.  (Sam  starts  after  her.) 

ABAGAIL:  Stay  where  you  are.  Stay  where  you 
are.  (Sam  laughs,  she  goes  out.  Sam  shakes  his 
head,  walks  about,  then  sits  down.) 

ABAGAIL  (opens  door)  :  Sam,  if  you'll  come  out 
doors  I'll  talk  to  you. 

SAM  (gets  up)  :  Ain't  that  just  like  Abagail.  She's 
so  particular ;  so  strictly  observant  of  the  rules  of  con- 
vential  observation.  I  just  love  her.  I'm  going 
right  out  and  ax  her  if  she'll  become  Mrs.  Snipes. 
(Goes  out.) 

TRUELETTA  (enters  from  opposite  side,  singing, 
stops,  sees  mail  scattered  about.)  Great  sufrerin'  cat 
fish!  Who  done  that?  That  ornery  Sam  Snipes's  been 


44  BETWEEN    TWO   LIVES 

here.     Lordy,  how  much   wurk  he   does   cause  me! 
(Sits  on  chair;  folds  her  arms,  leans  back.) 

TRUELETTA  :     Now  ain't  this  comfort  ? 

ABAGAIL  (outside,  screams):  Help!  (Trueletta 
runs  out — Sam  gives  big  laugh.  Enter  Trueletta  and 
Abagail.) 

ABAGAIL  :  Oh,  oh,  that  awful  man  tried  to  kiss  me ! 
Me — whose  lips  has  never  been  kissed  before!  I'll 
die— I'll  die! 

TRUELETTA  :  Nonsense,  Missus  Abagail ;  nonsense ; 
no  kiss  ever  killed  nobody. 

ABAGAIL:  And  he  spiled  it  all;  I  was  just  gettin' 
ready  to  like  that  big  yappin'  brute.  Now,  he  up  and 
spiles  it  all.  Believe  me,  Trueletta,  a  man's  the  wust 
animal  ever  born. 

TRUELETTA:  Thare's  whare  you're  wrong,  Aba 
gail.  For  wimmens  they're  the  best  animals  livin'. 
Now,  there's  Rastus.  I  make  him  stand  'round  and 
shiver  and  shake  and  Apologize,  but  that's  just  done 
for  fun.  Rastus,  he's  axed  me  nigh  onto  37  times  to 
marry  him  and  I  am  going  to  do  it  some  day — see  if  I 
don't.  (Abagail,  with  face  covered  with  apron,  sobs.) 

(Sam  sticks  his  head  in,  motions  to  Trueletta,  who 
goes  out.  Trueletta  returns,  and  hands  Abagail  a  big 
red  apple.) 

TRUELETTA:  Sam  says  fur  me  to  hands  this  to 
you'se,  and  if  you  don'ts  mind  to  come  out  of  doors  he 
wants  to  show  you  the  new  calf's  they's  got. 

ABAGAIL  :  One  of  them  big  Holsteins  that  costs  so 
much  money? 

TRUELETTA:    Yassam — one  of  the  purtiest  cow  in- 


BETWEEN    TWO    LIVES  45 

fants  you  ever  see.     You  go  seen  it,  Missus.     It's 
worth  a  lot  of  lookin'  at.     (Abagail  goes  out.) 

(At  other  side,  rap  on  door.     Enter  Silas  Watson.) 
SILAS  :     Folks  home  yet  ? 

TRUELETTA:  I  thinks  they's  comin'  now.  I  hear 
their  toot.  Yas,  that's  them.  (Enter  Betty,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wilson.) 

BETTY:     Good  morning,  Silas. 

HENRY:     Mornin'  Silas.     (Betty  goes  out.) 

SARAH:  Good  naornin',  Mr.  Watson.  Well,  I 
hope  ? 

SILAS:  As  usual.  I'm  gradually  gettin'  old,  how 
ever. 

SARAH  :  So's  we  all.  But  that's  to  be  expected. 
(Sarah  takes  off  wraps,  goes  out.) 

SILAS:  You,  Henry,  you  certainly  look  good.  I 
never  knowed  you  to  look  so  spry. 

HENRY:  Spry!  I'm  gettin'  younger  every  day. 
Why  shouldn't  I?  I'm  happy,  the  old  farm  is  doin' 
glorious,  I've  got  the  finest  boy  and  girl  and  son-in-law 
in  all  the  county.  And  Sarah  and  me's  joyful  as  birds. 

SILAS:  I  was  just  thinkin',  Henry,  what  young 
blood  is  able  to  do.  Three  years  ago  you  was  dis 
couraged — you  were  ready  to  quit — everything  was 
wrong — the  farm  slidin'  back — and  then  Jack  came 
home  from  the  agricultural  college — and  just  look  at 
things  today! 

(Betty  enters,  goes  to  telephone,  rings  and  gives 
number.) 

HENRY:    That's  so.     It  looks  a  miracle,  don't  it? 


46  BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES 

But  it  ain't.     It's  simply  these  boys  here's  mixed  some 
brains  up  in  the  soil.     That  'splains  everything. 

BETTY:  That  you,  Gertie?  This  is  Betty.  Say, 
Gertie,  I  want  you  to  come  over  right  away  and  spend 
the  day  and  night  with  us.  This  is  the  seventh  anni 
versary  of  Donald's  and  my  wedding.  You've  got  to 
come.  I'll  send  Rastus  in  the  car  for  you.  Good-by, 
dearie.  (Hangs  up  receiver.) 

SILAS  :  I  came  out  today  as  Jack  axed  me  to.  He 
said  he  has  a  certified  check  and  to  bring  your  old  note 
with  me.  Here  it  is.  (Takes  it  out  of  his  pocket.) 

HENRY:  That  note  is  over  fifteen  years  old.  I 
tried  hard,  Silas,  to  pay  it.  But  I  was  working  the 
wrong  way.  I  now  see  it  was  impossible.  I  farmed 
wrong;  I  didn't  keep  pace  with  progress.  Farming 
was  just  muscle  with  me.  I  didn't  use  what  little 
brains  I  got.  I  saved  and  saved.  I  hung  onto  pennies ; 
if  I  had  spent  dimes  on  improvement  I  would  have  got 
dollars  in  return. 

SILAS:  It's  all  in  the  way  you  save  and  the  way 
you  spend. 

HENRY:  Exactly.  You  can  lose  money  by  saving 
— and  save  money  by  spending — if  you  spend  right. 
Money  spent  for  the  right  kind  of  fertilizers  brings 
more  money  back.  Money  spent  on  race  horses  is 
money  throwed  away.  Money  spent  on  drainin'  lands 
is  investment. 

SILAS:  I. know  it,  Henry.  Didn't  I  say  so  when 
Jack  and  Donald  came  to  me  and  asked  to  borrow 
$1,800?  I  says :  "Boys,  what's  she  fur  ?"  "Drainin' 
that  swamp,"  they  said.  "You  can  have  it,"  I  "aid, 
right  off  the  bat.  "But  will  it  cost  all  of  that  to  drain 
that  field?"  I  said.  "No,"  they  said ;  "we  want  to  put  in 


BETWEEN    TWO    LIVES  A7 

UNIV 


a  septic  tank — that'll  cost  $35.     We've  got 


A6BICULTUI 

LIBRARY 

Elv- 


to  put  in 


a  water  system  and  a  bathroom — that's  $2£0  more," 
they  said.  "And  we  got  to  put  furnace  heat  in — that's 
$210  more;  and  then  we've  got  to  do  a  little  paintin' 
and  fixin'  up."  "It's  yours,  boys,"  I  said.  Henry, 
money  for  improvements  never  fails  to  earn  interest, 
'specially  if  spent  on  drainage  and  home  conveniences. 

HENRY  :  And  look  at  things  today !  Silas,  this  here 
farm  is  actually  worth  more'n  three  times  what  it  was 
three  years  ago. 

SILAS  :  When  them  boys  come  back  ag'in  and  said : 
"Silas,  we  want  to  borry  $1,000  more,"  well,  I'm  not 
saying  I  wasn't  disturbed,  but  I  was  game.  I  looked 
square  at  'em  and  said:  "Boys,  what's  she  fur?" 
And  they  came  right  square  back:  "$250  for  a  pure 
bred  Holstein  bull,  $300  for  pure-bred  Holstein 
heifers,  $300  for  four  good  grades  and  $150  for  some 
pure-bred  Duroc- Jersey  hogs."  And  I  said:  "It's 
yourn,  boys,"  without  batting  an  eye. 

HENRY:     Here  come  the  boys  now. 

JACK  and  DONALD  :     How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Watson  ? 

SILAS  :     Howdy,  boys.     I'm  here,  you  see. 

JACK  :  Yes,  and  we're  ready  for  you.  Here's  your 
$3,000,  Silas,  and  interest.  The  check  is  certified. 
(Silas  hands  over  note.  Jack  tears  it  in  two.) 

JACK  :  Our  last  debt.  The  old  mortgage  is  wiped 
out,  the  old  farm  is  clean  as  a  whistle.  The  big  swamp 
field,  the  new  cows  and  the  new  hogs  did  the  job. 

DONALD:  Jack,  tell  Mr.  Watson  about  the  alfalfa 
in  the  swamp. 

JACK  :  Well,  you  know  that  old  field ;  40  acres  in  it ; 
soil  black  and  rich,  but  very  wet.  I  studied  it  care- 


48  BETWEEN    TWO   LIVES 

fully  when  I  came  back  from  college ;  found  it  needed 
lime  and  potash.  We  tile-drained.  It  was  a  big  job, 
wasn't  it,  Donald? 

DONALD  :  Indeed  it  was ;  but  we  plowed  it  before 
winter  and  limed  it  and  in  the  spring  put  it  to  silage 
corn. 

JACK  :  Donald  and  I  had  some  money  we  saved  up 
during  the  years  at  college.  We  used  some  of  that 
money  for  building  a  hollow  tile  silo.  We  had  that 
corn  planted  early  and  in  the  silo  in  time  to  plow  the 
field  the  same  fall.  By  August  the  land  was  ready 
for  bone  and  potash  and  alfalfa  bacteria  and  the  seed. 

DONALD:  It  kept  us  on  the  jump.  And  after  it 
was  seeded  we  visited  that  field  every  day.  People 
say  there's  no  excitement  in  the  country — no  sensa 
tions — nothing  to  interest  one !  Watching  that  alfalfa 
brought  me  more  excitement  than  any  other  event  of 
my  life. 

JACK:  And  everything  went  well;  the  seed  had 
been  tested  and  it  came  right  up ;  in  two  months  that 
field  was  a  beautiful  sight — every  spot  was  fine  and  it 
stood  nearly  a  foot  high  when  the  snows  came.  The 
next  spring  and  summer — we  cut  it  four  times — fully 
150  tons. 

HENRY  :  The  finest  hay  I  ever  see  and  the  biggest 
crop. 

JACK:  We  couldn't  use  half  of  it.  We  actually 
sold  enough  hay  to  pay  you  that  first  money  we  bor 
rowed.  The  balance  of  the  hay  we  fed.  How  the 
stock  did  feast  on  it !  We  never  before  got  so  much 
milk.  Even  the  old  scrub  cows  caught  the  spirit  and 
competed  with  the  pure-breds  in  shelling  out  the  milk. 

SILAS:     It's  wonderful  work  you've  done. 


BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES  49 

DONALD:  And  the  swamp  field  did  it.  Just  think 
of  it!  We've  built  new  fences  around  every  field  on 
the  farm,  put  up  two  more  silos,  enlarged  the  barn, 
trebled  the  number  of  cows,  got  a  complete  outfit  of 
tools  and  implements,  started  a  fine  new  orchard,  put 
an  addition  to  the  house  and  fixed  it  up  with  every 
modern  convenience — and  it  was  all  done  out  of  that 
old  unused  swamp  land. 

HENRY:  And  there's  many  more  acres  in  these 
parts  just  like  it.  The  same  could  be  done  with  them. 

JACK  :  That's  true.  It's  possible  to  take  any  farm, 
and  by  studying  its  needs  to  make  it  respond  as  this 
one  has.  If  only  the  boys,  the  thinking  farm  boys, 
would  turn  their  minds  to  the  home  farms  and  after 
completing  their  education,  return  to  them,  they  would 
find  not  only  interesting  work,  but  more  profit  and  joy 
than  opens  in  any  other  direction.  (Betty  comes  in 
with  Gertie,  who  just  arrives.) 

GERTIE:  Mr.  Wilson,  how  fine  you  look!  Mr. 
Watson,  how  are  you?  How  do,  Donald?  Jack,  how 
are  you? 

(Henry  and  Silas  step  to  the  rear.  Billy  and  Betty, 
Jack  and  Gertie  are  together.) 

JACK  :  Gertie,  we've  just  paid  the  last  cent  we  owe. 
WeVe  won  our  farm  fight.  (Silas  and  Henry  inter 
rupt  and  come  forward.) 

HENRY:  Wonder  if  you'll  excuse  me  and  Silas  a 
little.  I  want  to  show  him  about,  and  let  him  have  a 
look  at  the  Holsteins.  (They  go  out.) 

GERTIE  :  You  dandy  boys,  I  want  to  thank  you  for 
your  help  in  my  school  fight.  We've  won,  in  a  bigger 
and  better  school.  The  board  of  education  has  de 
cided  to  add  two  more  rooms,  combine  in  our  school 


50  BETWEEN    TWO   LIVES 

four  other  districts,  get  two  more  teachers  and  make  a 
real  country  life  school.  It's  great.  We're  to  have  a 
domestic  science  laboratory  and  an  agricultural  labora 
tory,  and  from  now  we  can  train  the  boys  and  girls  in 
the  work  that  will  help  them  after  they  leave  school. 

DONALD:  That  fight  was  yours,  Gertie.  You 
fought  it  fair  and  square  and  won.  The  battle,  how 
ever,  was  fought  years  ago,  when  you  came  here  and 
started  that  new  kind  of  school.  Pshaw,  what's  been 
done  today  was  just  the  natural  outcome. 

BETTY:  That's  right,  Gertie.  I  am  told  people 
didn't  like  some  of  the  things  you  did  when  you  first 
came  back  from  the  normal  school.  They  wanted  you 
to  teach  just  the  same  things  as  the  other  teachers  had 
been  teaching. 

GERTIE  :  I  know  it.  And  I  did  lots  of  crying  over 
it,  too,  but  what  was  I  to  do?  Nearly  every  boy  and 
girl  who  came  to  my  school  was  going  to  be  a  farmer 
— he  was  going  to  be  a  farmer,  whether  he  wanted  to 
be  or  not.  I  decided  that  if  that  was  the  case  he  ought 
to  be  a  good  farmer  and  the  girls  good  wives  who 
understood  at  least  the  more  important  things  about 
homemaking.  I  studied  .and  thought  and  worked.  At 
last  I  saw  my  duty  and  I  tried  to  do  it. 

DONALD  :  And  you've  done  it  better  than  any  man 
could  do  it. 

BETTY  :     That's  so,  and  there's  no  denying  it. 

GERTIE:  Whether  it's  so  or  not  I  was  honest  in 
what  I  did. 

BETTY:  This  is  all  very  interesting,  but  we've  got 
things  to  do.  Gertie,  you  come  with  me.  I've  some 
things  to  talk  over  with  mother  about  tonight.  What 
will  you  boys  do? 


BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES  51 

JACK:  That  reminds  me,  Donald;  let's  go  to  the 
office — we  must  finish  up  those  dairy  records,  and 
figure  out  the  feed  rations  for  the  cows  that  are  to  go 
on  the  silage-alfalfa  test.  The  quicker  at  it,  the 
quicker  done.  (They  go  out.) 

(Enter  Rastus  and  Trueletta  bending  up  and  down 
with  laughter.) 

TRUELETTA  :     Don't  you  dare  tell,  niggah ! 

RASTUS  :  Of  course  I  won't.  But  wa'n't  he  pleadin' 
though?  (Continues  to  laugh.) 

TRUELETTA:     He  certainly  wus!     (Laughs.) 

RASTUS:  And  she  wasn't  objectin'  neither.  Oh, 
my,  oh  my!  (Laughs  louder  than  ever.  Both  laugh.) 
Wonder  what  that  Holstein  calf  thought. 

RASTUS:    Trueietta!     (Soberly.) 
TRUELETTA:    What,  Rastus?     (Also  soberly.) 
RASTUS:     Come  here.     (She  comes.) 
TRUELETTA:     What? 

RASTUS:  You  take  me.  (His  arm  about  her,  they 
go  out.) 

(Henry  and  Silas  return.  Henry  gets  down  his  pipe, 
fills  it  and  smokes. ) 

SILAS  :  It's  simply  wonderful  what  those  boys  have 
done. 

HENRY  :     They  done  it,  Silas ;  they  done  it. 
SILAS  :     By  knowin'  how. 
HENRY  :     Knowin'  how  and  havin'  faith. 
SILAS  :     And  not  afeard  to  work. 

HENRY:  Not  only  not  afeard  to  work,  but  doin' 
the  work  well. 


52  BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES 

SILAS  :     And  livin'  up  to  their  word. 
HENRY  :     And  livin'  up  to  their  word. 

SILAS:  Do  you  know,  Henry,  the  best  credit  a 
man's  got  is  meetin'  every  promise  he  makes?  No 
man  should  ever  make  a  promise  unless  he  knows  he 
can  meet  it. 

HENRY:  Silas,  farmin's  changin'.  It's  changin' 
in  .every  way.  Today  it  consists  of  new  things.  Do 
you  know  nothin's  the  same  as  when  we  was  boys. 
The  trouble  is,  methods  change,  tools  change,  customs 
change,  but  us  farmers  we  jist  sit  tight  and  never 
budge.  We've  got  to  progress  with  the  rest  of  things. 

SILAS  :     The  old  order  changeth. 

HENRY:     Exactly.     The  old  order  changeth. 

SILAS:  Cows  have  changed,  pigs  have  changed, 
chickens,  corn,  wheat,  tools,  fences,  barns,  everything 
has  been  improved  or  changed. 

HENRY:  Everything  but  people.  We're  just  as  sot 
in  our  ways,  just  as  stubborn  as  ever. 

SILAS:  And  get  mad  if  someone  insists  on  doin' 
things  in  a  better  way. 

HENRY  :     Exactly. 

SILAS:  It's  been  my  observation,  Henry,  that  the 
man  who  is  keenest  to  learn  about  new  things  in  agri 
culture  is  them  with  brains  and  push  who  leaves  for 
the  town  or  city. 

HENRY  :  That's  true  of  the  past,  but  right  now  the 
brightest  boys  are  actually  going  off  to  college  to  study 
agriculture  with  the  idea  of  coming  back  home  and 
runnin'  the  home  farm. 

SILAS  :     As  your  boys  have  done. 


BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES  53 

HENRY:  Exactly.  As  Jack  did,  although  I  op 
posed.  Jack  tells  me  that  over  50,000  boys  last  year 
were  students  of  agriculture  in  the  different  colleges. 

SILAS  :     Wonderful,  isn't  it? 

HENRY:  And  if  they  do  half  as  well  as  Jack  and 
Donald,  wonderful  will  be  the  results. 

(Jack  comes  in.) 

JACK  :  Father,  what  do  you  think  ?  By  changing 
our  feeding  ration  of  the  cows  last  month,  we  actually 
have  made  $59  clear. 

HENRY  :    How's  that  ? 

JACK  :  Well,  you  know  we  had  a  lot  of  corn.  We 
grew  it  primarily  to  feed.  Well,  corn's  gone  up.  I 
figured  out  that  we  might  better  sell  corn  and  buy  a 
little  cottonseed  meal.  After  swopping  feeds  and 
paying  for  the  extra  labor  of  hauling,  we  made  money. 

SILAS  :     That's  scientific  farming. 
HENRY  :    Exactly. 

JACK:  Call  it  what  you  will.  It's  just  good  plain 
business.  We  figured  a  bit  and  made  money  on  the 
figuring.  But  there's  another  thing.  The  cottonseed 
meal  contains  four  times  as  much  fertility  as  corn ;  in 
fact,  over  twice  as  much  nitrogen  as  all  the  fertilizer 
elements  in  corn.  Selling  corn  and  buying  meal  not 
only  brings  more  money  for  milk,  but  adds  to  our  fer 
tilizer  capital  deposited  in  the  soil. 

SILAS  :     Wonderful ! 
HENRY  :     Wonderful ! 
(Enter  Donald.) 

DONALD:  Say,  folks,  I  want  to  show  you  some 
thing  in  the  orchard.  Where  we  thinned  the  fruit  and 


54  BETWEEN    TWO   LIVES 

fertilized  those  old  apple  trees  and  sprayed  them,  some 
remarkable  results  are  showing  up. 

HENRY  and  SILAS  :     All  right. 
SILAS  :     We're  in  fur  anything. 

(All  depart  but  Jack.  He  sits,  takes  pencil  and 
starts  to  draw.) 

GERTIE  (enters) :  Everybody  out?  (Jack  rises, 
goes  to  Gertie.) 

JACK  :  I  am  glad  you  came  in.  I've  just  started  a 
little  plan  of  making  over  a  change  or  two  in  this 
house. 

GERTIE:  What's  Prince  Jack  up  to  now?  A  ball 
room  or  prison  cell  ? 

JACK:  Neither,  Mistress  Sarcasm;  I  am  just 
thinking  how  to  get  some  outside  sleeping  rooms,  and 
an  open  dining  and  living  room  on  to  this  house. 

GERTIE  (clapping  hands)  :  Fine!  What  a  wonder 
ful  man  you  are ! 

JACK:  Don't  make  fun  of  me,  Gertie.  I'm  in 
earnest. 

GERTIE:  All  right,  I  know  you  are.  Now  tell  me 
and  I'll  promise  not  to  interrupt  you  once. 

JACK  :  Well,  here's  the  idea.  We  live  in  the  coun 
try.  For  six  months  we  can  eat  and  sit  out  of  doors 
and  enjoy  the  lovely  air.  And,  if  properly  made,  we 
could  sleep  out  of  doors  also ;  if  not  for  all  the  year, 
then  the  greater  part  of  it.  And  why  not?  Donald 
and  I  can  do  much  of  the  work  ourselves. 

GERTIE  :  Oh,  won't  that  be  fine !  How  did  you  ever 
think  of  it  ? 


BETWEEN   TWO   LIVES  55 

JACK:  I've  been  thinking  about  it  for  some  time, 
but  I've  been  so  busy,  I've  never  been  able  to  get 
around  to  it. 

GERTIE:  Why  don't  more  farmers  do  the  same 
thing  so  they  can  live  out  of  doors? 

JACK  :  Others  are  just  like  us,  too  busy  to  get  at  it. 
But  somebody  has  to  make  a  start.  So  we'll  do  it. 

GERTIE  :     It's  simply  glorious ! 

JACK  :  The  trouble  is,  Gertie,  too  many  folks  have 
been  used  to  thinking  about  the  house  as  just  four 
walls ;  just  as  a  place  to  eat  and  to  sleep  and  to  wash 
in.  They  have  not  made  home  attractive;  they  have 
not  got  out  all  the  possibilities  of  the  soil;  they  have 
merely  been  farmers,  not  getting  enough  profit  out  of 
their  crops  to  improve  the  old  farm  or  to  make  the 
home  beautiful.  Then  the  young  folks,  after  a  while, 
leave  the  farm.  Home,  Gertie,  is  love  and  affection ; 
it  is  the  hearthstone ;  it  is  the  rocking  cradle ;  it  is  the 
prattling  child;  it  is  the  mother's  smile;  it  is  the 
father's  strong  right  arm;  it  is  the  dearest  place  on 
earth. 

GERTIE  :  Oh,  Jack,  what  a  wonderful  man  you  are ! 
(Jack  looks  up.) 

JACK  :     Only  common  sense,  Gertie. 

GERTIE  (continues)  :  What  a  perfectly  wonderful 
man  you  are,  so  grand  (Jack  looks  intently),  so  good, 
so  handsome  (Jack  looks  still  more  intently},  so  lov 
able  (Jack  rushes  over,  takes  her  hands),  and  you're 
such  a  dear ! 

JACK  (slipping  back  a  bit,  looking  at  her)  :  Gertie, 
I  am  going  to  marry  you  whether  you  will  take  me  or 
not.  Do  you  hear? 


56  BETWEEN   TWO  LIVES 

GERTIE  :    Yes,  dear,  I  hear,  and  I  second  the  motion. 
JACK  :     Sweetheart ! 

GERTIE  :  I  always  intended  to  marry  you.  I  never 
loved  anybody  else.  But  I  wanted  you  to  be  sure  also. 
I  wanted  you  to  start  your  work  and  I  wanted  a  chance 
to  finish  mine.  I  did  so  much  want  to  get  that  school 
made  over,  just  as  you  have  made  over  this  farm,  be 
fore  beginning  this — the  greatest,  most  glorious  event 
of  my  life. 

JACK:  This  is  Betty's  and  Billy's  seventh  anni 
versary.  We'll  make  it  the  beginning  of  a  new  glory 
for  us  also.  Oh,  Gertie ! 

(Enter  Mrs.  Wilson  and  Betty.  Betty  goes  to  Jack 
and  Gertie.) 

BETTY  :    Seven  years  ago  today — and  I  am  so  happy ! 
GERTIE  :     And  this  is  the  happiest  day  of  my  life. 

JACK:  Not  to  be  -eclipsed — it's  also  the  happiest 
day  of  mine. 

BETTY  (smiling)  :  At  last,  you  old  pokes — I  knew 
all  along. 

(Rastus  behind  Sam  and  Abagail  and  from  with 
out.) 

RASTUS:  You'se  bof,  bof  of  you,  march  right  in 
there.  I  cotched  you.  And  I  can  prove  it  by  that 
Holstein  calf.  (Sam  and  Abagail  hand  in  hand,  with 
shy,  dropped  faces,  walk  in.} 

RASTUS:  Now  tell!  (Sam  looks  to  Abagail,  Aba 
gail  to  Sam,  neither  says  anything.) 

RASTUS  (to  Sam  and  Abagail)  :  Well,  I  sees  I'll 
have  to  speak  fur  ye.  Mr.  Jack,  I'se  a  confession  to 
make.  I  Jfess  that  thes.e  two  peoples:  to  wits,  Sam 


Snipes  and  Abagail  Jones,  have  this  day  'fessed  their 
dyin'  devotion  to  each  and  t'other,  and  they  axes  your 
permission  to  tie  up. 

(Sam  and  Abagail  smile,  twist  their  feet  and  sweetly 
look  at  each  other.) 

JACK:  Sam,  is  this  so?  (Sam  just  grins.)  Aba 
gail,  is  what  Rastus  says  true?  (She  smiles  just  as 
Sam.)  I  see,  your  fervent  words  speak  loud.  Your 
request  is  granted.  Blessings  on  you  both ! 

(Enter  Donald ,  Henry  and  Silas.) 

HENRY:  Why,  what's  all  this  mean?  Wedding 
bells,  I  do  declare!  (He  walks  up  to  Sam  and  Aba 
gail.)  To  think  that  this  has  been  goin'  on  and  I 
never  suspected  it! 

BETTY:  There's  many  things  you  don't  suspect, 
father.  I  have  the  great  and  delightful  privilege  of 
announcing  that  John  Wilson,  Jr.,  alias  Jack,  and  Ger 
trude  Bowers  have  this  day  contracted  to  marry  also. 

HENRY:  Call  that  news,  lady?  Their  eyes  and 
their  actions  made  that  announcement  long  ago.  Me 
and  mother  may  be  gettin'  old,  but  we  ain't  infants 
when  it  comes  to  love  makin',  are  w.e  mother  ?  (  Walks 
over  and  puts  his  arm  around  her.) 

(Betty  and  Donald  together,  Sam  and  Abagail  to 
rear  at  right.  Rastus  brings  in  Trueletta  at  rear  to 
left.  Henry  and  Sarah  at  left  toward  front,  Donald 
and  Betty  toward  front,  even  with  Henry  and  Sarah. 
Silas  at  side,  further  forward.  Jack  and  Gertie  to 
gether,  slightly  forward  in  center  of  line  where  are 
stationed  Donald,  Betty,  Henry  and  Sarah.) 

JACK:  There's  nothing  I  need  to  say.  It  seems 
that  you  all  know  my  affairs.  And  I  don't  care.  I  do 


TWO    LIVES 

love  Gertie,  have  loved  her  ever  since  she  came  here 
a  flower  and  a  song.  She's  to  be  a  farmer's  wife, 
though  once  she  said  she  wouldn't.  I  am  a  farmer 
and  proud  of  it.  To  me  the  promise  of  the  present 
is  a  glorious  agriculture  for  the  future. 

(Curtain) 


NOTE. — If  desired  an  old-fashioned  dance  may  be 
introduced  at  the  close  of  Act  III,  to  be  danced  as  the 
curtain  goes  down.  Jack,  Gertie,  Donald  and  Betty 
form  one  square ;  Sam,  Abagail,  Rastus  and  Trueletta 
a  second.  Silas  calls  out  and  Henry  and  Sarah  stand 
together,  looking  on,  with  Henry's  arm  about  Sarah, 
both  in  pleasing  sympathy  and  joy. 


U.C.BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


